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HISTORY 



OF 



CONNECTICUT 



BY 

ELIAS B. SANFORD 



Qui TmiistHlif Snstiiiet 



REVISED EDITION 



HARTFORD: 
THE S. S. SCRANTON COMPANY 
1922 



.Sai 



Copyright, 1922 
By E. B. SANFORD 



THE CASE, LOCKWOOD » BRAINARD CO. 
HARTFORD, CONN. 



JAN -4 "23 



PREFACE TO THE EDITION OF 1887. 



IT has been my endeavor, in writing tliis book, to tell 
the story of Connecticut in a way that would be in- 
teresting, both to young and old. I trust it will meet the 
approval of the teachers in our public schools, who have 
felt the need of a history of the State suitable for use in 
the classroom, and for general reference; and I also in- 
dulge the hope that it may be helpful in making this 
history better known in the homes of our Commonwealth. 
My work has been that of selection rather than discovery. 
The materials at hand have been so abundant, that I 
could give but little space to many interesting episodes. 
By placing notes at the end of the chapters, which I have 
made short, I have sought to throw light on the text, 
that would explain matters that might otherwise have 
been obscure. 

To those who may think I have given undue attention 
to the period of the French wars, I would commend the 
words of Dr. Bushnell, in his " Historical Estimate of 
Connecticut," where he says, " We are accustomed to 
speak of the wars of the Revolution; but these earlier 
wars, so little remembered, were far more adventurous, 
and required stouter endurance." 

The facts contained in this volume have been gathered 
from many sources. Besides a large number of town and 
county narratives, I have constantly consulted the his- 
tories of Trumbull, Hollister, Barber, Atwater, Palfrey, 
Bancroft and Lodge. I desire, however, in this connec- 
tion, to make special mention of the published volumes of 
the Colonial Records of the State, which have made 
available the most valuable and exact sources of historical 
information. Connecticut has been fortunate in the ser- 
vices rendered by J. Hammond Trumbull, LL.D., and 
Mr. Charles J. Hoadly, in editing these records. 

It remains for me to express my thanks to those who 
have so kindly given me personal assistance. I am under 
great obligation to Mr. VanN'ame, the efficient librarian of 
Yale University; and Mr. Hoadly, our State librarian, 
who has called my attention to facts of striking interest. 



vi PrvEFACE 

Henry Holt k Co. of ^N'ew York, Brown k Gross of Hart- 
ford, the Rev. Edward E. At water of ^ew Haven, and 
others, have extended favors in the matter of maps and 
illustrations that are gratefully acknowledged. 

In conclusion, I make mention, with peculiar feeling, 
of the kindness of my friend, Mr. Joseph R. French, 
principal of the Skinner School, l^ew Haven, at whose 
suggestion this work was undertaken, and who has aided 
me in many ways during its progress. 

E. B. SA]SrFORD. 

Westbrook, May 27, 18S7. 



PREFACE TO THE EDITIOJN" CONTAINING THE 
SECOND PART OF THE HISTORY. 



It is not often that an author is permitted, after a 
lapse of thirty-six years, to revise a hook written at that 
period, and add further pages bringing the narrative up 
to the present time. As Dr. Bushnell, has said, it is 
indeed " a beautiful story," and it has been a delightful 
task, in old age, to take up anew my study of the his- 
tory of Connecticut. Recalling with tender memories 
the noble group of men and women who aided me in 
my labors, almost four decades ago, and gratefully 
appreciating the recognition that has been given to this 
history of my native State, I send out this latest 
edition with its additional pages. 

It remains to me to make special mention of the kind- 
ness of Mr. George S. Godard, the Librarian of the 
Connecticut State Library, and Mr. Forrest Morgan of 
the Watkinson Library, Hartford, who have laid me under 
great obligation in reading the proofs of the second part 
of this history. 

E. B. Sanford. 

MiDDLEFIELD, CONN., Oct. 1, 1922. 



COI^ TENTS. 



CHAPTER PAGE 

I. The Indians of Connecticut 11 

II. The First Settlement of Connecticut . . .15 

III. The Pequot War . 21 

IV. First Settlement of New Haven. — Adoption 

of Constitutions by the New Haven and Con- 
necticut Colonies 20 

V. The Founding of New Towns. — Trouble with 

Indians 36 

VI. The Civil and Domestic Life of the Early 

Settlers 40 

VII. The New-England Confederacy. — Death of 

Miantonomo 44 

VIII. Troubles avith the Dutch and the Indians. — 
The Purchase of Saybrook. — Farmington in- 
corporated 49 

IX. Discovery of an Indian Plot. — Law regarding 

Tobacco. — New London founded . . .55 
X. Uncas and the Narragansetts. — Governor 
Stuyvesant at Hartford. — Norwalk and 

middletown settled 59 

XI. Stamford and Fairfield threatened by the 
Dutch. — Norwich settled. — John Winthrop 

elected Governor 03 

XII. The Story of the PvEGicidfs 68 

XIII. The Union of the New-Haven Colony with 

Connecticut 75 

XIV. Edmund Andros, Governor of New York. — 

Andros at Saybrook. — King Philip's War . 80 

vii 



Vlll 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER PAGB 

XV. Report to the English Board of Trade. — 
Boundary Troubles. — Demands of Edward 

RANDOLrH 87 

XVI. Andros assumes Authority. — Hiding of the 

Charter i 3 .' . . 03 

XVII. Government resumed .under the Charter. 

— Governor Fletcher at Hartford . . l>7 
XVIII. Colonial Prosperity. — Ashurst defends the 

Charter Rights of the Colony. — Mohegan 

Controversy 102 

XIX. Public Education. — Yale College founded. 

— Population and Trade 108 

XX. Life of the People 115 

XXI. Social Distinctions. — Marriage Customs.— 

Funeral Services. — Negro Slavery . . 122 
XXII. The Religious Life of the People. — Sab- 
bath Observance. —Social Pleasures . . 127 

XXIII. The Evolution of the Tonvns .... lo3 

XXIV. Period of the Last French Wars, 1714-1748 . 139 
XXV. Period of the Last French Wars, 1748-1755 . 148 

XXVI. Period of the Last French Wars, 1756-1757 . 156 
XXVII. Period of the Last French Wars, 1758 . . 161 
XXVIII. Period of the Last French Wars, 1759-1763 . 167 
XXIX. Revolt of the People against the Stamp 

Act 173 

XXX. Determination of the People to resist Tax- 
ation. — Boston Port Bill. — Battle of Lex- 
ington. -The Capture of Ticonderoga . 181 
XXXI. The Battle of Bunker Hill . . . .188 
XXXII. Connecticut Troops at Cambridge. — Invasion 

of Canada. — Declaration of Independence, 196 
XXXIII. Battle of Long Island. — Nathan Hale. — 
Surrender of Fort Washington. — BuR- 
goy'ne's Surrender . . . . . . 203 



CONTENTS. 



IX 



CHAPTER 

XXXIV. 



XXXV. 



XXXVI. 



XXXVII. 



XXXIX. 



XL. 
XLI. 



XLII. 



XLIII. 



210 



225 



232 



PAGE 

Burning of Danbury. —The Fight at Ridge- 
field. — Surrender of Fort Montgomery. 

— The Encampment at Redding . . .211 
Massacre at Wyoming. — British attack 

New Haven. — Burning of Fairfield and 
XORWALK 

Washington at Hartford and AVethers- 
field. — Arnold burns New London. — 
Massacre at Fort Griswold 

Connecticut at the Close of the Revolu- 
tion. — Jonathan Trumbull. — The Adop- 
tion OF THE United-States Constitution. 

— Sale of Western Lands. — Death of 
Washington 

Connecticut at the Dawn of the Nine- 
teenth Century. — The War of 1812. — 
Destruction of Property at Essex. — 
Bombardment of Stonington. — The Hart- 
ford Convention 240 

Adoption of the Present Constitution of 
Connecticut. — The Growth of Philan- 
thropic Enterprises. — Temperance. — The 
Anti-slavery Agitation .... 

Connecticut in the Civil War, 1860 

Spirit of the People. — Enlistment of 
Troops. — Capture of Roanoke Island, 
1862 

Battle of Cedar Mountain. — Call for 
Troops. — Antietam and Fredericksburg, 
1862 

Battle of Chancellorsville. — Gettysburg. 

— Port Hudson. — Andersonville. — Re- 
enlistment OF Troops, 1863 .... 



247 
254 



261 



264 



COXTEXTS. 



CHAPTER 

XLIV. 



XLV 



XLVI. 

XLVII. 

XLVIII. 

XLIX. 

L. 

LI. 

LII. 

LIII. 



Battle of Dkury's Bluff, — Spottsylvama. 

— Death of Sedgwick. — Battle of Cold 
Harbor. — Petersburg, 1864 .... 

Battles of Winchester and Cedar Ckeek. — 
Capture of Fort Fisher. — Assault ox the 
Forts near RiCHMOisrD. — Surrender of Lee. 

— Close of the War, 1864-05 

Era of Industrial Progress .... 

Connecticut in Literature .... 

The Public Schools of Connecticut 

Yale University ...... 

Wesleyan L^niversity ..... 

Trinity College ...... 

Connecticut in the Life of the Xation . 
Boundary-Lines and Physical Geography of 
Connecticut ...... 



■273 



278 
284 
296 
302 
309 
316 
319 
322 

329 



SECOXD PAPvT 

COXXECTICUT IX PvECEXT YEARS 

1872 — 1922 

CHAPTER 

I. Religious Life and Church Growth 
II. Educational Progress in the Public Schools of 

Connecticut ..... 
HI. Higher Institutions of Learning 
IV. Political and Civic Life 
V. Connecticut in Literature . 
VI. Connecticut in the Fine Arts and Music 
Vll. Manufacturing, Agricultire, Insurance 

Banking . 
VIII. Connecticut Xewspapers 
IX. State Parks and Forests 
X. State Institutions, Penai, 

Philanthropic . 
XI. HiSTORic.\L and Patriotic Societies 
Index ....... 



Reformatory 



AND 



axd 



PAGE 

337 



35> 
357 
366 
381 
390 

396 
405 
417 

421 
425 
439 



HISTOEY OF COJSTJ^ECTIOUT. 



CHAPTER I. 

1614. 

THE INDIANS OF CONNECTICUT. 

SOON after Heuiy Hudson explored the beautiful river 
that bears his name, Adrian Block, another Dutch navi- 
gator, followed him on a trading-vo3^age. He had loaded 
his ship with bear-skins, and was about to sail homeward, 
when the vessel caught 
fire, and he was com- 
pelled to land on the 
island where the city of 
New York now stands. 

During the following 
winter his men built a 
small yacht ; and in the 
spring he sailed through 
Hellgate, and, skirting 
the shore, discovered the 

HoUSatonic, which he ^ ^^^^^ ^^ ^^^ seventeenth century. 

called the river of Red 

Hills. From thence he sailed east, and entered the Connec- 
ticut River, which he explored Tor some distance. He saw 
parties of Pequots, and found an Indian tribe near the site 
of Wethersfield, and another just above Hartford. The 
Dutch traders, for a number of years after this, made fre- 

11 




12 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



1614. 



quent trips along the shore of the Sound, imd carried on 
a brisk trade with the Indians in furs. They also visited 
tlie charming valley through which flowed the river whose 
Indian name, Connecticut (Long River), was to designate the 
commonwealth, the foundations of which were soon to l)e laid 
in this wilderness. 

The territory included in the present l)oundaries of the 
State was, at this time, occupied by small bodies of Indians 
who were connected with independent tribes that were gen- 
erally hostile to every other. ^ River Indians- was the name 
given to the Red men who dwelt on the banks of the Con- 
necticut. Very little is known of those who lived in the 
forests west of the river ; ^ but the eastern 
part of the State was the home of two 
powerful tribes, the Pequots and the 
Mohegans. 

With the exception of the meadows which 
here and there bordered the larger streams 
and the shores of the Sound, the hills and 
valleys were covered with a dense forest 
growth. The Indians cleared a few places 
for their hunting-grounds ; and the grass 
that grew in these spots was burned, with 
the underbrush of the forests, by fires that 
were kindled for this purpose, in the autumn. 

Man}' of the Indians, living in small collections of wig- 
wams, were accustomed to remove twice a 3^ear ; in winter 
seeking sunny and sheltered spots, and at other seasons 
visiting the shores of the Sound and the banks of the larger 
streams and lakes. Wild animals were numerous in the 
forests, and birds and water- fowl were abundant. 

The Indian men were tall, athletic, and graceful in their 
movements, but lacked endurance. The skins of wild ani- 
mals furnished their dress ; and the chiefs wore costl}' and 
beautiful belts of curiously wrought shells, of varied colors. 




ARROW-HEAD. 



1614.] THE INDIANS OF CONNECTICUT. 13 

Proud and haughty in bearhig, they cherished a cruel and 
implacable spirit towards their enemies ; and, never asking 
mercy when captured by their foes, they suffei-ed the most 
excruciating torments with stoi- 
cal composure. When they were 
not upon the warpath, they 
spent their time in hunting, fish- 
ing, and lazy enjoyment. The women did all the heavj 
manual labor, turning the sod, planting the corn, and crush- 
ing it, when harvested, with a stone pestle in a hollowed 
rock. 

The furniture of the wigwams, besides blankets of skins, 
consisted of a few cooking-vessels of wood and stone, 

knives fashioned 
of shells, and axes 
and chisels made 
of stone. The 




fC UF^^ 



J^ 



HATCHET AND CLUB. WCapOUS USCd ill 

hunting and war- 
fare were wrought with much skill and care. Sassafras 
was the favorite wood for making bows, that were strung 
with the sinews of the deer or with hempen strings. Reeds 
from the swamps largely furnished the arrows, that were 
loaded with pieces of flint, stone, or bone sharpened to a 
point. Their most cruel weapon, the tomahawk, was a short 
club of hard wood terminat- 
ing in a heavy knob. 

Besides fish and game, the 
natives ate the nuts, roots, 
and berries which grew wild. ' ^^^^^, ~ 

Indian corn was a favorite 

article of food ; and tliey also raised the squash, the pump- 
kin, and the beau. A hoe made of a clam-shell or a moose's 
shoulder-blade was the only implement they emploj^ed in 
their work in the field. In fishing they used hooks made 




14 



HISTORY OF CONNECTiOUT. 



[1614. 



of the sharpened bones of fishes or birds. Their lines and 
i-ude nets were fashioned of the twisted fibres of the dog- 
':ane or the sinews of the deer. 

They cooked their meat by roasting it berore a fire on tlie 
point of a stick, and also by broiling it on hot coals or 
stones. Sometimes they boiled it in their vessels of stone. 
Corn was prepared in several ways ; and, when boiled alone. 
was called hominy^ and when mixed with beans, succotash. 

Morally and intellectnally, the Indian was degraded and 
stupid. The ties of famil}' and parental affection were 
feeble and easily broken. The men were lazy and improvi- 
dent, and the women were the miserable slaves of these 
brute lords of creation. Altogether, the Indians, whom our 
fathers found in the wilds of Connecticut, were a low and 
savaoe race. 



1 Indians were niimerou!? at Sims- 
bury, New Hartford, and Farraiugton. 
Along the shore of the Sound, there 
were small tribes; at Guilford, Brau- 
ford, and New Haven. Near the mouth 
of the Housatonic River, they built a 
strong fort as a defence against the Mo- 
hawks. There were two clans in Derby : 
the one at Pauguseet, about four miles 
below the mouth of the Naugatuck River, 
erected a strong fort. At Milford and 
Stratford the Indians were numerous. 
There were several tribes in Stamford, 
and two small clans in Norwalk. The 
neighborhood about Woodbury was a 
favorite resort of several tribes. The 
number of Indians in Connecticut at the 
time of its settlement, was probably 
about sixteen thousand. 

2 River Indians. They were small 
bands scattered at different points along 
the river. They suffered from the at- 
tacks of the Mohawks from the "West, 
and the Pequots from the East. For this 
reason they were anxious to have the 



English come into the valley. They sent 
some of their number all of the w:i,v 
to Boston to ask for help against the 
Pequots, and promised to give the Englisb 
land if they would come and live among 
them. This visit called the attention of 
the colonists for the first time to Con- 
necticut. 

3 The Indians in the western part 
of the State were tributary to the Mo- 
hawks. If they neglected to pay their 
tribute, the Mohawks would plunder, 
destroy, and carry them away captive. 
The cry " A Mohawk! a Mohawk I" was 
sufficient to arouse the greatest alarm 
and fear. After the English came, the In- 
dians in this neighborhood, if thej- could 
not take refuge in their forts, would flee 
into the homes of the settlers: but the 
Mohawks would pursue, and sometimes 
kill them in the presence of the family. 
If the doors were shut, they would not 
attempt to open them by force ; and they 
never did the leii-s' injury to the Eng 
lish. 



1631.J FIRST SE'VTLEMENT OF CONNECTICUT. 15 



CHAPTER II. 

1631-1636. 

THE FIRST SETTLEMENT OF CONNECTICUT. 

DURING the year IGol, eleven years after the lauding of 
the Pilgrims, an Indian sachem visited the governors 
of the Plymoutli and Massachusetts colonies, and urged 
them to send Englishmen to commence settlements in the 
valley of the Connecticut. Without making any promises, 
Governor Winslow of Plymouth was so much interested in 
the description which the sachem gave of the country, 
watered by this l)eautiful river, that he soon afterwards 
visited it. 

In the following year, other parties from Massachusetts 
made a more extended exploration of the valley. Previous 
to this, the Dutcli had been satisfied to carry on their trade 
with the Indians without taking formal possession of any 
land. When they saw that the English were proposing to 
do this, they sent a company of men to build a fort, named 
"Good Hope," at Suckiag (Hartford), and also arranged 
for the purchase of the land along the river. By this time 
the Pilgrim pioneers were ready to begin their settlement in 
the valley. Having prepared the frame of a house, they put 
it on board a little bark, and sent it around to the river, from 
Pljanouth, in command of William Holmes. W^hen they 
came to the fort, the Dutch hailed them, and asked them 
where they were going. Holmes replied, " We are going up 
tiie river to trade." The Dutch threatened to fire into them 



16 HISTORY OF CONNECTECUT. [1633. 

if they did not stop ; but the brave Pilgrims told them to fire 
avyay, and sailed on. 

They set up the trading-house near the mouth of the 
Tunxis (Farmington) River, and were soon bus;- trading in 
furs with the Indians. When the Dutch governor at Fort 
Amsterdam (New York) heard how the Pilgrims had sailed 
by the fort at Suckiag, he was very angry, and sent a com- 
pan}^ of seventy soldier-^ to destroy their trading-house. 
They found, however, that it was defended by a band of men 
determined to fight for their rights ; and they retired, leaving 
• he Englishmen in peaceable possession. 

The reports brought back to their friends and neighbors in 
Massachusetts, by those who visited the valley of the Con- 
necticut, led to the agitation of further plans for its settle- 
ment. In many ways the time seemed favorable. The 
strength of the Indian tribes had been weakened by a dread- 
ful pestilence, by which they had died by hundreds. The 
crafty and cruel Pequots, finding that the Dutch were ready 
lo mete out to them a stern punishment for the murder of 
.some of their traders, while their hereditary enemies, the 
powerful Narragansetts, were eager to fight them, concluded 
that it was best for them to be on good terms with the Eng- 
Ush. They promised to submit to their control, and ex- 
pressed a wish that Englishmen should come to Connecticut. 

At this time the English population of New England, 
numbering about two thousand, was confined to the vicinity 
of Boston and Plymouth. Now that the Indians seemed 
peaceable, and ready to welcome them, some of the people, 
iivirg near Boston, thought it would be to their advantage to 
emigrate to the river whose fertile meadows would afford 
be^ccr pasture for their cattle and richer soil to till. 

There were many who opposed this plan, thinking it would 
weaken the colony ; and, before the consent of the General 
Court was obtained, there was much excitement and earnest 
discussion. The most influential advocate for emigration 



1634.] Fir.ST SETTLEMENT OF CONNECTICUT. 17 

-uas a miaister of great eloquence and ability, the Rev. 
'J'homas Hooker.^ While the matter was still under debate, 
a few resti\'e men banded together, in the fall of 1634, and 
'set out for the Connecticut valley, and settled at Pequag 
(Wethersfield), where they spent the winter in rude log 
huts. 

In May, of the following year, Hooker and his friends 
renewed their request ; and leave to remove was reluctantly 
granted them by the General Court. During the summer 
quite a number of people from AYatertown joined their 
friends, who had already settled what is now Wethersfield. 
Several persons connected with the congregation of the Rev. 
John Wareham'^ of Dorchester selected, for their home, a 
point on the river, not far from the Plymouth ^ trading-house, 
and here laid the foundations of the town of Windsor. 

In October a company of about sixty men, women, and 
children, from the neighborhood of Boston, came through the 
wilderness to the Connecticut River. The march was tedious, 
as they brought not only their household goods, but their 
cattle, horses, and swine. They were detained some time, in 
building rafts for crossing the river ; and before the}^ could 
get their log huts erected, the}' were overtaken by an early 
winter. Most of those who came in this company settled at 
ISuckiag (Hartford). 

During the autumn of this same 3'ear, an important settle- 
ment was made at the mouth of the Connecticut, that was 
entirely distinct from those in the upper part of the valley. 
John Winthrop, jun., the son of the famous governor of the 
INIassachusetts Colony, followed his father to New England 
in 1631. He soon returned to England, and was given a 
conunission b\' Lords ^ay and Brook, and other distinguished 
men, to begin a settlement for them at the mouth of the 
Connecticut River. Men and money were placed at his dis- 
l)osal ; and Lion Gardiner,* an able engineer, was engaged 
to assist in the enterprise. 



18 HISTOllY OF CONNECTICUT. [l634-5. 

Wiuthrop arrived at Boston in October. Learning that the 
Dutch were preparing to take possession of the mouth of 
the river, he sent a company of twenty men in a small vessel, 
who reached there the last of November. Early in Decem- 
lier a sloop, which the Dutch governor had sent from Man- 
hattan, arrived at the river; but the English had already got 
two pieces of cannon on shore, and would not let the Dutch- 
men Jand. Governor Winthrop arrived, soon after, bringing 
Lion Gardiner, who was expected to direct the work of building 
a fort, and laying out the site of a future city. In compliment 
to its two noble patrons, the settlement was called Saybrook.^ 

The winter opened early, and proved a terrible and severe 
one to the settlers in the upper, valley. The river was 
frozen over by the middle of November ; and the vessels laden 
with beds, clothing, and provisions, for the Hartford settlers 
and others, were lost off the Atlantic coast. Benumbed with 
cold, famine soon stared them in the face. Delicate women 
and children suffered for the necessities of -life, and strong 
men were dismayed. Some crossed the river, and waded 
through the pathless snow to Massachusetts ; and a band of 
seventy persons went down the river to Saybrook, hoping 
to find the vessels with provisions from Boston. About 
twenty miles above the fort, they met a small vessel caught 
in the ice. They were able to cut her loose, and after a dan- 
gerous voyage arrived at Boston. 

The winter, as it passed, brought increasing suffering and 
loneliness to those who still remained in the settlements. 
When their supply of food was exhausted, they were unable 
often to secure any game, and had to subsist, in part, upon 
the ground-nuts which the}^ dug from the banks of the river, 
and acorns found beneath the snow. They endured with 
brave hearts the privations of the winter, and eagerly wel- 
comed the first approach of spring with its promise of seed- 
time and harvest. Before the end of ]May quite a number 
of those who had left the settlements returned. 



1635.] FIRST SETTLEMENT OF CONNECTICUT. 19 

" About the beginning of June, Mr. Hooker. Mr. Stone, 
and nearly one hundred men, women, and children, took their 
departure from Cambridge, and travelled more than one 
hundred miles through a hideous and trackless wilderness 
to Hartford. They had no guide but their compass, and 
made their way over mountains, through swamps, thickets, 
and rivers which were not passable but with great difficult}'. 
They had no cover but the heavens, nor any lodgings but 
those that simple nature afforded them. They drove with them 
a hundred and sixty head of cattle, and by the way subsisted 
on the milk of their cows. Mrs. Hooker was borne through 
the wilderness upon a litter. The people carried their packs, 
arms, and some utensils. They were nearly a fortnight on 
their journey." ^ It is pleasant to recall that they formed 
their first impressions of their wilderness-home in the month 
of song and flowers ; and we can imagine how cordial was 
the welcome they received from those who had come before 
them, old friends and neighbors not only in Massachusetts, 
but in England. 

There was still further emigration from Massachusetts in 
the following year. A¥illiam Pynchon led a party from Rox- 
l)ury to the great meadows, some miles above Windsor, called 
1)}^ the Indians, Agawam. They gave the name of Spring- 
field, to the settlement, in honor of Mr. Pynchon's old home 
in England. 

1 Thomas Hooker was born at Mar- Uon, and in no wise turbulent or fac- 

field, England, July 7, 1586. He was tious." After a brief retirement, in which 

educated at Emanuel College, Cambridge, he was kindly provided for by his friend 

where for some time he was a Fellow. the Earl of Warwick, he determined to 

After leaving Cambridge, he preached leave his native land, and seek a home in 

for a while in London and its vicinity; Holland. Mr. Hooker remained in Hol- 

and in 1626 he became assistant minister land three years. The emigration of the 

at Chelmsford. Faithful to the dictates Puritans from England to New England 

of conscience, he was silenced in 1630 for was increasing, and among those who 

nonconformity, against the protest of planned to go were many of Mr. 

forty-seven ministers in which they certi- Hooker's old friends. They desired 

fied " that they knew Mr. Hooker to be or- him to accompany them as their spirit- 

thodox in doctrine, honest in his life and ual guide; and after spending a short 

conversation, peaceable in his disposi- time in England, he sailed for Boston 



20 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



about the middle of July, 1633. 
" Mr. Hooker's company," as it was 
called, which afterwards consti- 
tuted his church at Cambridge, had 
preceded him. During the two 
years and a half that he remained 
with the Massachusetts colony, his 
influence was marked. He be- 
came deeply interested in the plan 
of emigration to the beautiful 
valley of the Connecticut. It has 
been said that the special reason 
of his going was, because of the in- 
crease of the population about the 
Bay, and the necessity of the people 
finding more fruitful fields for 
their flocks, and better land to till. 
But this was not the main reason 
in the mind of Hooker. There 
were many things in connection 
with the civil regulation of affairs 
in Massachusetts that did not meet 
his approval. He believed in a 
government " by the people for the 
people;" and it was to be his high 
service and destiny to inspire, if 
his hand did not pen, the first 
constitution ever adopted by a peo- 
ple. Prom the time Mr. Hooker 
came to Hartford until his death 
he was a leader in public affairs. 
Of majestic person and noble mien, 
his words were both eloquent and 
powerful. Gentle and affectionate 
in spirit, his life was a beautiful 
illustration of the faith and doc- 
trine he professed. Mr. Hooker 
fell a victim to epidemic disease at 
the age of sixty-one, dying at his 
home in Hartford, July 7, 1647. 

- John Wareham was an emi- 
nent minister in Exeter, England. 
After emigrating with his church 
to New England, and remaining at 
Dorchester for some time, he fol- 
lowed his people to Windsor the 
year after they made a settlement 
there. He is said to have been the 
first minister in New England 
who preached with notes. Cotton 
Mather gave testimony that " the 



whole colony of Connecticut con- 
sidered him as a principal pillar 
and father of the colony." 

s Both the Dutch and the Pil- 
grims at Plymouth were annoyed 
at the coming of the Massachusetts 
people into the Connecticut valley, 
but the tide of emigration was too 
gtrong for them to resist. 

* Lion Gardiner had been a 
master workman and engineer in 
the employ of the Prince of Orange. 
He became owner of the island at 
the east end of Long Island which 
bears his name. 

5 Saybrook Patent. In 1606 
two great companies were formed 
in England — one in London, and 
the other in Plymouth — for the 
settlement of North America. To 
the Plymouth Company, King 
James gave the coast extending 
from about the mouth of the Hud- 
son River to the eastern point of 
Maine. There was no western 
boundary to this grant, which ex- 
tended across the continent to the 
Pacific Ocean. In 1620 the original 
company was broken up, and a 
new one formed, called " The 
Council of Plymouth for the gov- 
erning of New England." The 
patent from this Council under 
which the Saybrook colony was 
organized, is now generally con- 
ceded to have had a very doubtful 
origin. There are good reasons, 
which have been well given by 
Mr. Forrest Morgan, after careful 
investigation, that this so called, 
Warwick patent, was secured under 
circumstances that make it more 
than doubtful if it was a legal 
and royally sanctioned document. 
Evidently the Connecticut Colony 
founders gave little attention to 
it both while they were purchas- 
ing lands from the Indians and 
when they absorbed the Saybrook 
Colony. (See Encyclopedia Brit- 
tanica. Vol. 6, page 954.) 

" Trumbull. 



1637.] THE PEQUOT WAR. 21 



CHAPTER III. 

1637. 

THE PEQUOT WAR. 

WHILE the Connecticut settlers were busy in clearing 
fields for tillage, building rude but substantial houses 
of logs and stones, and opening roads, trouble with the 
Indians commenced. 

A band of roving Narragansetts had killed a trader named 
Oldham, at Block Island. Oldham belonged to Watertown, 
Mass., and that colony took steps to punish the murderers. 
Some of them were killed ; and others fled to the Pequot 
country, as their own friends, the Narragansetts, would have 
nothing to do with them. Governor Vane and his council 
decided to send a party of soldiers to Block Island, with 
orders to put to death all the men, but to spare the women 
and children. 

In command of one hundred men. Captain Endicott sailed 
for the island in August, 1636. When the English attempted 
to land, the Indians did all they could to drive them back. 
They did not succeed in this, and finally took to flight after 
fourteen of their number were killed. Having set fire to the 
cornfields and wigwams, the expedition sailed to Peiiuot 
River. ^ Meeting a party of Pequots, Endicott talked with 
them ; but, finding them defiant and hostile, he told them to 
prepare to fight. In a skirmish that followed, two Indians 
were killed. Having burned a few wigwams, I^ndicott sailed 
for Boston. This action only enraged the Pequots. " You 



22 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l637. 

raise these wasps uround us, and then flee awa}'," said the 
Connecticut men to their friends in Massachusetts. 

Within a few days, parties of Pequot warriors began to 
harass and murder the settlers. The arrow from some 
ambush struck down the farmer toiling in his fields, and 
helpless women and innocent children were killed with fiend- 
isli cruelt}^ While a party of men were working outside the 
JSaybrook fort, they were surprised by the Pequots, and four 
of their number killed. Lieutenant Gardiner was slightly 
wounded at the same time. The Indians, encouraged by 
their success, gathered in large numbers, and challenged 
those within the fort to fight, mocking them by imitat- 
ing the dying groans and prayers of the poor prisoners 
whom they had tortured. A few charges of grape-shot scat- 
tered them. 

The work of pillage and death still continued, until the 
settlers scarcely dared to stir outside their homes. The 
Pequots tried to get their old enemies, the Narragansetts, 
to unite with them in a league against the English. This 
plan was broken up by the influence of Roger Williams" 
and the strenorth of the old enmitv. The Mohegans were 
on bad terms with the Pequots, and formed an alliance with 
the English. The Niantics, although friendly to the Pequots, 
were unwilling to fight. 

The colonists saw that it was a matter of life and death, 
and determined to make a desperate effort to break the 
]K)wer of the Pequots. A General Court was held in Hart- 
ford, May 1, 1637; and this resolution was unanimoush' 
adopted. '* It is ordered that there shall be an offensive 
war against the Pequots, and there shall be ninet}' men levied 
out of the three plantations of Hartford, Wethersfield, and 
Windsor." This number represented nearly one-third of the 
freemen of this little republic. 

Within ten days from the opening of the coin-t, this com- 
pany of men sailed from Hartford under the command of 



1637.] THH TEQUOT WAR. 23 

Captain John -Masou.-^ With them was a band of seventy 
friendly Mohe^j^an "^ Indians, and Uncas^ their chief. When 
they reached the fort at Saybiook, Captain John Underhill, 
a brave and capable soldier, with the consent of Lieutenant 
Gardiner, commanding the fort, offered his services to Mason 
with nineteen men. 

For some days the wind was contrary, and the little fleet 
was detained at the mouth of the river. Pequot spies, swift 
of foot, were watching its. movements from the opposite 
shore, and apprised Sassacus of his danger. Mason's 
orders were to sail directly to Pequot (New London) Harbor, 
and attack the enemy in their stronghold. Now that the 
wily Indians were informed of this purpose, he saw that it 
would be dangerous and perhaps futile to undertake it. He 
suggested that it would be best to sail as far as Narragansett 
Bay, and, if possible, secure the aid of Miantonomo, the chief 
sachem of the Narragansetts, in surprising and destroying 
their mutual enemy. 

A council of war was held ; and, while they all recognized 
the force of their leader's arguments, they hesitated to 
assume the responsibilit}' of changing the plan of the cam- 
paign. They were under orders, and it was their habit to 
obey without thought of personal consequences. It w-as 
finally suggested that they seek divine guidance ; and the 
matter was referred to their chaplain, Mr. Stone, the be- 
loved and revered assistant pastor of the church in Hartford. 
Having spent the night in prayer, Mr. Stone the next morn- 
ing said to Captain ^Nlason, that '* he was fully satisfied to 
sail for Narragansett." 

This w^as accepted as a final decision, and on Fiiday 
morning they set sail. They arrived in Narragansett Bay 
Saturday evening, but the wind blew so strongly off shore 
that they were unable to land before Tuesday afternoon. 
Mason at once informed Miantonomo of his plans, which 
met the cordial a[)proval of the sachem. He thought, how- 



24 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



[1637. 



ever, that the little band of English soldiers were insufficient 
for such an undertaking. 

During the night an Indian runner brought a letter from 
Captain Patrick, who had been sent from Massachusetts with 
a few men to assist in the war against the Pequots. He 
wrote that he had reached Providence, and urged Mason 
to wait until he could join him. The Connecticut company 
had already met with vexatious delays, and the}^ were im- 



MEW HAVENTf 
MILI-ORDj 




PROVIOENCEf 



tNl I NARRAC*NJEn's 

<? l^^-^V-i^ VILLAGE £ 

^iWtxv}'^^^ .i 



>''^_FlSHER-S_l.:^--i-:- 



.AIAP OF PEQUOT CAMPAIGN. 



patient to return home ; and they decided to push on to the 
Pequot country at once. 

On Wednesday morning, May 24, the little army began 
their march, and before night reached the borders of the 
Pequot territory. Here was the seat of a Narragansett 
sachem ; but he refused to treat with the English captain, 
and would not allow his men to encamp within the palisades 
of his fortress. In the morning another band of warriors, 
sent. by Miantonomo, having appeared, the Narragansetts 
within the fort plucked up courage, and with much boasting 
desired to join the expedition. When Captain Mason began 



1637.] THE TEQUOT WAR. 25 

the march again ou Thursday, he had about five hundred 
Indians with him. Most of them proved a cowardl}^ lot, 
and those who had bragged the loudest were the first to 
desert. Uncas, with his band of Mohegans, showed the 
most courage ; and Wequash, a pett}' chief who had revolted 
from Sassacus, proved a trustworthy guide. 

Suffering from the lack of food and the oppressive heat, 
they finally reached the neighborhood of the Pequot fort 
about an hour after sunset. Here they encamped between 
two high rocks, still known as Porter's Rocks. It was a 
beautiful moonlight night ; and the sentinels could hear the 
distant cries of the enemy, who were having a carousal of 
savage joy over the flight, as they supposed, of Mason and 
his men, as they had seen the vessels sailing past their 
territory. 

An hour or two before daybreak the men were awakened 
from sleep ; and, after a fervent prayer by the chaplain, they 
started for the fort, following a path pointed out by the 
Indians. The dist-ance proved greater than tliey expected ; 
and they began to fear lest they were on the wrong trail, 
when they came to a cornfield at the foot of " a great hill." 
Their terror-stricken allies had fallen back ; and it was only 
in response to a messenger that Uncas and Wequash came up, 
and informed them that the fort w^as on the top of the hill. 

Sending the Indians word not to fly, but to keep at as safe 
a distance as they pleased, and see whether Englishmen 
would fight or not, they marched on, and soon came in sight 
of the Pequot' s stronghold. 

The men were divided, for the purpose of storming the two 
entrances at the same time. Captain Mason was within a 
step of the north-east entrance, when the bark of a dog gave 
the first alarm to the sleeping enemy. The cry of an Indian, 
^^ Owanux! Oivanux ! '' ('"The English! the English!") 
startled the Pequots from the heavy slumber that had fol- 
lowed the debauch of the previous night. 



26 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l637. 

Completely surprised, and parah'zed with fear, most of 
them huddled in their wigwams, even after the English had 
entered the palisades. A few tried to escape ; and after 
some hand-to-hand fighting, Captain Mason gave the order to 
hum the fort, and, seizing a firebrand, lighted the conflagra- 
tion himself. The rest of the sad story is best told quickly. 
The flames spread rapidly, and in an hour six or seven hun- 
dred poor creatures perished within the belt of fire. Only 
a handful escaped to tell the proud chief, in the fort not far 
away, of the terrible calamity that had overtaken the tribe. 
Only two of the Enghsh were killed, and twenty wounded. 

From the outlook of the hill they saw their vessels in the 
distance entering Pequot Harbor, and they at once took up 
tlieir march in that direction. By this time the Indians from 
the neighboring^ fort swarmed along the forest path, and in 
every possible way harassed the soldiers. Before the harbor 
was reached, however, the Pequots returned to their fort, 
and upbraided the proud Sassacus as the author of all their 
misfortunes. From that hour his power, and that of his 
tribe, was broken. Onl}' the intercession of some of his chief 
counsellors saved his life. Panic-stricken, they burned their 
wigwams, destroyed their fort, and then fled. Sassacus, 
with seventy or eighty of his faithful warriors, sought refuge 
in the wilderness l^ordering the Hudson River. 

"When the little army of Englishmen returned to tell the 
story of their victory, the colonists breathed more freely.' 
But they were still in fear lest the spirit of revenge kindled 
hi the hearts of the survivors of the hated tribe might break 
t'Ut in fierce and treacherous attacks, and arrangements were 
liiade to continue the war. Without passing judgment as 
to the right or wrong of this action, it is evident that the 
colonists felt that their lives were in constant jeopardy while 
a Pequot remained in the vicinity of their settlements. Cap- 
tain Mason wns put in command of fort}' men, and in June 
united his force with that of Captain Stoughton, who had 



1637.] THE PEQUOT WAR. 27 

been sent to Peqiiot Harbor (New London) from Massacliu- 
-setts. While the vessels sailed along the Sonnd, the troops 
hunted for the enemy along the shore. ^^ 

It was on this march that the beaut}' of the location and 
surroundings of Quinnipiac (New Haven) was first discov- 
ered by Elnglish eyes. As they approached the place, they 
saw the smoke of what they supposed was a Pequot encamp- 
ment ; but they found that the fire had been kindled by a 
party of friendly Indians. The vessels having entered the 
iiarbor, they went on board, and waited for several days, 
until the return of a Pequot spy, who reported that SasSacus 
and his party were concealed in a swamp a few miles to the 
westward. This hiding-place proved to be in a bog-thicket 
a short distance from the present village of Fairfield. 

It was not an easy matter to dislodge the Pequots from 
this natural fortress. The soldiers found it very difficult to 
penetrate the tangled underbrush without sinking in the 
treacherous mire ; and in the attempt to advance, many of 
them were wounded by the sharp arrows, that flew in showers 
about them. The Fairfield Indians, who were in the swamp, 
sent one of their number to beg for quarter, which was 
granted ; and they came out with their women and children. 

The plan was then adoi)ted of surrounding the band of 
desperate Pequots, who still clung to their hiding-place. 
During the night, which proved dark and heav}^ with mist, 
they attempted to break through this line ; but the watchful 
soldiers were prepared for a hand-to-hand fight, which ended 
in the death and capture of a large pi'oportion of the Pequot 
warriors. The one hundred and eighty prisoners, with a 
large amount of booty consisting of wampum, bows, arrows, 
and other implements, were divided between Massachusetts 
and Connecticut. 

Sassacus probably was not present at this fight. Fleeing 
in the direction of the Hudson, he sought refuge among his 
old enemies, the Mohawks ; but the old feelinsj of hate con- 



28 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



[1637. 



tinned, and, having beheaded him, they sent his scalp as a 
trophy to Connecticut. 

On the 21st of September, Uncas and Miautonomo, with 
the surviving Pequots numbering about two hundred, met 
the magistrates of Connecticut at Hartford. A treaty was 
arranged between the colony and the Mohegans and Narra- 
gansetts, by the terms of which the tribes entered into a 
compact of peace, and agreed, that, in any case of wrong, 
justice should be meted out by the English. With consider- 
able ceremony the remnant of the Pequots was divided 
among the chiefs who had given their aid in the war against 
the tribe now humbled and powerless. 



1 Pequot River. Thames River. 

2 Roger Williams. The founder of 
Rhode Island. His influence over the 
Narragansetts was remarkable, and his 
efforts in behalf of peace were unremit- 
ting. 

3 John Mason had won reputation 
as a brave soldier in the Low Countries. 
He was a member of the companj' that 
removed from Dorchester to Windsor. 
Oliver Cromwell offered him the posi- 
tion of major-general if he would return 
to England. For many years he held the 
highest position of military authority in 
the colony. 

4 The Mohegans appear to have 
been tributary to the Pequots, but at 
this time they were on bad terms with 
each other. They dwelt on the west 
side of the Thames River. 

5 Uncas was a Pequot by birth; and 
his wife was a daughter of Sassacus, a 
Pequot sachem. At one time he was 
a petty chief under Sassacus, the great 
prince of the nation. They had quar- 
relled; and at the time the English first 
came to Connecticut, his influence among 
the Indians was small. He had nothing 
to lose, and every thing to gain, through 
the friendship of the English. 



6 The Neighboring Fort. Besides 
the fort at Mystic, the principal and 
royal residence of Sassacus was situated 
on Fort Ilill in Groton, about four miles 
north-east of New London. 

7 Captain Mason and the Xarragan- 
sett Indians, after leaving Pequot Har- 
bor, continued their march by land to 
the Connecticut River, where they ar- 
rived on Saturdaj', " being noblj^ en- 
tertained by Lieutenant Gardner with 
many great guns." From Saybrook 
the English volunteers in this expedi- 
tion returned to their homes, where 
they were received with great rejoi- 
cing. 

8 Uncas with his Indians and some 
of the soldiers, at a point about eighteen 
miles west of Saybrook, discovered the 
Pequot sachem, Mononotto, with a few 
of his followers. They attempted to 
escape by swimming across the mouth 
of a narrow harbor, but they were way- 
laid and taken as they landed. Uncas 
shot the sachem, and, after beheading 
him, stuck the head in the crotch of a 
large oak-tree, where it remained for 
many years. Since then the place ha;; 
been called Sachem's Head. 



1638.] FIKST SETTLEKS OF NEW HAVEN. 29 



CHAPTER IV. 
1638-1639. 

FIRST SETTLERS OF NEW HAVEN.- ADOPTION OF CONSTITUTIONS BY THE 
NEW HAVEN AND CONNECTICUT COLONIES. 

ON the 26th of July, 1637, there arrived at Boston the 
most opulent company that had thus far emigrated from 
England. Every possible inducement was offered to keep 
them in Massachusetts, but they decided to found a distinct 
colony. Having learned of the beauty of the country lying 
west of the mouth of the Connecticut River, they sent a few 
of their number to spy out the land. 

This company, in charge of Theophilus Eaton, one of 
their prominent and wealthy men, selected, as the most 
attractive and eligible spot for the future home of the 
colony, the present site of the city of New Haven. Here 
they built a temporary hut, and left it in charge of a 
few servants for the winter. On the 30th of the follow- 
ing jNIarch, the entire company set sail for the harbor of 
Quinnipiac, which they reached after a tedious voyage of 
two weeks. 

Their first sabbath was strictly kept with religious ser- 
vices held under the spreading branches of an oak-tree, 
supposed to have stood near the present corner of College 
and George Streets. The Rev. John Davenport,^ whose 
name occupies a distinguished place in the early history of 
the colony, preached a sermon warning them of the trials 
of the wilderness, and was followed in a discourse from his 



30 



HIST<)i;V OF CONNECTICUT. 



[1639. 



c(jllong;ue, tlio Rev. ^Ir. Prudden. from the text, '* The voice 
of oue crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the 
Lord, make his paths straight." 

In November, Theophihis Eaton, Mr. Davenport, and 
other gentlemen, made a contract with the Indian sachem 
Momaugin, in reference to a sale of lands. It is a curious 
document, being of the nature of a treaty as well as a 
deed of sale of Quinnipiac. According to its terms, the 

chief covenanted not to 
disturb or injure the Eng- 
lish, who in return agreed 
to protect the tribe, and 
allow them the use of the 
lands on the east side of 
the harbor, both for hunting 
and tillage. On the 11th 
of Decemlier another large 
tract of land was deeded 
to the same gentlemen l»y 
Montowese. 

The territory included in 
these deeds is now divided 
into the towns of New Haven. 
Branford,Wallingford, East 
Haven, Woodbridge, Cheshire, and North Haven. Twenty- 
three English coats, with sundry other articles, was the con- 
sideration named in the deeds, with the right to hunt and plant 
and fish with few restrictions ; but the protection of the 
colonists was of far more value to the little Indian tribe 
than gold or silver would have been. 

The year 1G39 will ever be memorable in the history of the 
State as the time when written constitutions were adopted 
by the infant colonies of Connecticut and New Haven, that 
have been the source of influences that have affected the 
life, not only of the Commonwealth, but of the nation. The 




JOHN DAVENPORT. 

rP'roni a portrait in possession of Yale 
College.] 



1639.] 



FIRST SETTLERS OF NEW HAVEN. 



81 



baiul of earnest, thoughtful men and refined women, who laid 
the foundations of these two colonies, were many of them of 
gentle birth. Their clergymen were university graduates, 
of high reputation for learning and eloquence ; and the 
leading citizens had won wealth and position before emi- 
grating to the wilderness of the New World. 

They did not leave homes of comfort in England to seek the 
advancement of their 
material fortune. 
The star of hope 
that led them across 
the ocean, and gave 
them courage to sub- 
due the wilderness 
and endure privation, 
was luminous with 
the lioht of relioious 
and civil liberty. 
Their earliest thought 
and care were given 
to -laying the founda 
tions of communities 
that should embody 
and illustrate prin- 
ciples of spiritual, ecclesiastical, and political freedom, dear 
to them as life. 

During the first year of the settlement of New Haven, the 
colonists lived under a simple compact to obey the Scrip- 
tures. On the 4th of June, 1639, all of the free planters met 
in a large barn,- and proceeded in a formal manner to lay 
the foundations of government. The Bible was made the 
sole rule for ordering the affairs of the Commonwealth, 
and church members were alone admitted to the rights of 
citizenship. 

In October the court, as it was termed, composed of seven 




3IEDAL COMMEMORATING THE SETTLEMENT OF 
NEW HAVEN. 



32 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l639. 

church members called " the seven pillars," and duly elected 
for this purpose, met and instituted the civil government. 
All of those who were connected with approved churches 
were accepted as voting members of the Commonwealth, 
and Theophilus Eaton was chosen governor of the colony.^ 

For many reasons, the history of the first Constitution of 
Connecticut is of deep interest. During the first year after 
the settlement of Wethersfield, Windsor, and Hartford, the 
government was under a commission from Massachusetts. 
In April, 1636, Roger Ludlow and four associates held a 
General Court in Hartford, and among other acts passed a 
law forbidding the sale of fire-arms to the Indians. In May 
of the following year, the towns appointed delegates to par- 
ticipate with the magistrates in the counsels of the court. 

At the opening session of this body. May 31, 1638, the 
Rev. Thomas Hooker preached a remarkable sermon, in 
which he declared "that the choice of public magistrates 
belongs unto the people by God's own allowance," and 
"that they who have power to appoint officers and magis- 
trates have the right also to set the bounds and limitations 
of the power and place unto which they call them." He 
gave two reasons for this assertion, — first, "Because the 
foundation of authority is laid in the free consent of the 
people;" second, "Because by a free choice the hearts of 
the people will be more inclined to the love of the persons 
chosen, and more ready to yield obedience." 

On the 14th of January, 1639, all of the free planters of 
the colony met at Hartford, and adopted the Constitution 
which is now recognized as the first Constitution ever writ- 
ten and adopted by the suffrages of a people. It will alwa3's, 
probably, be a matter of doubt as to whose pen draughted this 
remarkable document ; but there is every reason to believe 
that the principles which it contains were suggested by the 
far-seeing and liberty-loving mind of Tliomas Hooker. Roger 
Ludlow acted as legal adviser, and may have prepared 



1639.] CONSTITUTION ADOPTED BY CONNECTICUT. 33 

the paper ; and we know that Goveruor Haynes was in 
heart}' accord with the views of his beloved pastor ; but it 
is to the learned and eloquent minister of the first church in 
Hartford, that posterity will give its award of honor as the 
author of the first Constitution of Connecticut. 




FIRST CHUKCa IN HAllTFOKU. 



It is noteworth}' that this document expressed no allegi- 
ance to the British crown, but lodged the supreme power in 
the General Court. It contained the seed-truth of principles 
which were in time to produce the fruit of our independent 
national life. 

'' More than two centuries have elapsed," says Bancroft, 
"• but the people of Connecticut have found no reason to 
deviate essentially from the frame of government established 



34 



HISTonV OF CONNECTICUT. 



1639. 



b}' their fathers. Histor}^ has ever celebrated the heroes 
who have won hiurels in scenes of carnage. Has it no place 
for the wise legislators who struck the rock in the wilder- 
ness, and the waters of liberty gushed forth in copious and 
perennial streams? They who judge of men by their ser- 
vices to the human race will never cease to honor the memory 
of Hooker, and will join with it that of Ludlow, and still 
more that of Haynes." 

After the adoption of the Constitution, the freemen of 
the towns in the colony met at Hartford on the second 
Thursday in April, 1639, and elected their officers for the 
year ensuing. John Haynes^ was chosen governor, and 
Roger Ludlow ^ deputy-governor. 



1 John Davenport was born in the 
city of Coventry, England, in the year 
1597. He graduated at the University of 
Oxford, and entered on the active duties 
of the ministry when but nineteen years 
of age. In ihe year 1631 he was sum- 
rooned before Bishop Laud. Having 
decided to cast in his lot with the non- 
conformists, he crossed over to Holland, 
where, for a time, he was assistant min- 
ister of an English church at Amster- 
dam. He had long been interested in 
the emigration to New England, and 
he finally decided to come to the New 
World. With a number of influential 
and tried friends he set sail in the ship 
" Hector," and arrived at Boston on the 
26th of June, 1637. Mr. Davenport was 
an earnest preacher and ripe scholar. 
He was known among the Indians about 
New Haven as •' So big study man." 

- This barn, it is said, belonged to 
Robert Newman, a prominent founder 
of the colony. Dr. Bacon (Hist. Disc. 
•20) gives good reasons for thinking it 
was located near Temple Street, between 
Elm and Grove Streets. 

'"The restricted franchise, 
and the churchlj' aristocracy of New 
Haven, concealed a levelling principle. 
As the will of an English sovereign can 



transform the meanest subject into a 
peer of the realm, so the lowliest dweller 
in the cellars at Quinnijiiac could, by ad- 
mission to church membership, become 
a ruler of the State. The day-laborer, 
the possessor of the good name which is 
more valuable than fine gold, might be a 
free burgess; while his neighbor, dwell- 
ing in one of the ' stately houses,' and 
writing • Mr.' before his name, might be 
forbidden to cast a vote. That a handful 
of exiles, gathered in a barn, could of their 
own free motion, without a bishop or a 
royal sanction, form a Church of God; 
that the same men, with no charter but 
their own consent and that of their fel- 
low-men, could organize a self-governing 
State, — these were the novel and star- 
tfing ideas through which our modern 
political philosophy has mainly devel- 
oped. In the light of these principles, 
Winthrop and Endicott, Hooker and 
Roger Williams, Davenport and Eaton, 
stand forth together as apostles of our 
liberty." (Liverraore's The Republic of 
New Haven, p. 25.) 

* John Haynes held the position of 
governor of Massachusetts in 1635. He 
was one of the most influential and able 
men among the pioneers of Connecticut. 
He was elected governor every other 



FIRST SETTLEKS OE NEAV HAVEN. 



year until his death in 1654, alternating 
with Edward Hopkins. 

5 Roger Ludlow came from the 
west of England with the Rev. John 
Warham and his company. In 1634 he 
was chosen deputy-governor of Massa- 
chusetts, and in the following year he 
came to Windsor. He was a man of ripe 
legal attainments, and rendered Mr. 
Hooker, Governor Haynes, and others, 
great assistance in draughting the Consti- 
tution of the infant colony. After his 
removal to Fairfield, he was requested to 
revise and prepare a body of laws for the 
colony. He finished this work in 1649, 
and the code was established by the as- 
sembly during that year. After leaving 
Fairfield he returned to England, but 
the time and place of his death are un- 
known. 

6 The Constitution provided that 
the freemen of each town should elect 
every year, by vote, four persons as 
deputies to the General Court. Each 
year a court of election was to assemble 
on the second Thursday of April (after- 
wards changed to May), for the purfjose 
of chqpsiug a governor and six magis- 
trates. Only those could be chosen as 
magistrates whose names had been pro- 
posed at some preceding session of the 
court. Xo town could make more than 
two nominations, but the General Court 
added as many as it thought best. At 
the court of election each freeman cast a 
ballot, upon which was written his choice 
for governor for the following year, a 
plurality vote electing. The governor 
must be a church member ; and the rule 
held until 1660, that no one could be 



chosen to the office two years in suc- 
cession. At the court of election the 
secretary read the nominations for ma- 
gistrates in the order in which they had 
been received. When a name was read, 
the freemen handed in either a blank bal 
lot counting against the candidate, or one 
having his name upon it. The balloting 
continued until six names had received 
a majority of the votes cast. In case the 
full number were not thus obtained, those 
names were added which had received 
the largest number of votes. 'I'he gov- 
ernor, magistrates, and deputies met as a 
General Court on the second Thursday of 
September, to make laws, and attend to 
the affairs of the Commonwealth. The 
office of magistrate was very important, 
as the duties that now devolve upon the 
selectmen of the towns were in their 
charge; and, until the charter was se- 
cured, they exercised judicial functions, 
and looked after other matters as directed 
by the General Court. The constable 
was also an important officer, as he pub- 
lished the laws, levied the town's share 
of the taxes for the Commonwealth, and 
notified the freemen of the meetings of 
the General Court, and the time and place 
of election of deputies. 

From 16.56 Connecticut placed upon 
her common seal, vines to represent her 
towns. At first there were three for the 
original towns. On the fifth page of the 
first revision of the laws of the colony 
made in 1672, and published at Cam- 
bridge, Mass., in 1673, the seal has fifteen 
vines. As the towns became more nu- 
mei'ous, the original three vines were 
placed on the seal. 



36 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l639. 



CHAPTER V. 

1639. 

THE FOUNDING OF NEW TOWNS. 

IN the year 1639 settlements were made at Milford^ 
(Wepowaug), Guilford (Menunkatuck), Fairfield (Uu- 
quo-wa), and Stratford. The residents of these towns have 
reason to be proud of the character and histor\^ of the fami- 
lies that laid their foundations. " A more substantial com- 
pany of emigrants," saj^s HoUister, ''never followed a 
clergyman into the wild woods of America than the fathers 
of Milford." 

The first settlers of Guilford were nearly all gentlemen 
of means. Their first magistrate, Samuel Desborough, re- 
turned to England in 1650, and six years later was appointed 
by Cromwell Lord Chancellor of Scotland. He held this 
position until the restoration of King Charles II., who 
treated him with great kindness, and permitted him to retire 
to the enjoyment of his elegant estate at Elsworth, where he 
resided until his death. 

Roger Ludlow was one of the party that captured the 
Pequots at the "Swamp fight" at Un-quo-wa. He was 
charmed at the time with the beauty of the surrounding 
country ; and in 1639, in company with eight or ten families, 
his neighbors at Windsor, he emigrated to Fairfield. They 
were soon joined by parties from Watertown, Mass., and 
also from Concord. Southold on Long Island was settled 
about this time, and placed itself under the jurisdiction of 
New Haven. 



1639.] WAR WITH INDIANS AVOIDED. 37 

During the summer (1639), Colonel George Fenwick,- in 
charge of two ships, arrived at the mouth of the Connecticut 
accompanied by several gentlemen, who brought with them 
a number of servants and laborers to aid in the further build- 
ing up of Say brook. The colony at Saybrook was entirely 
distinct from those of Connecticut and New Haven, and 
administered its own affairs until 1644, when it was united 
with Connecticut. 

Another war with the Indians was happily avoided. The 
citizens of Wethersfield secured evidence that Sowheag, the 
sachem of Mattabesett (Middletown), had given aid to 
the Pequots in their murderous attacks upon their settle- 
ment two years before ; and they demanded that the guilty 
Indians should be surrendered for trial and punishment. 
The General Court sought to bring about a just arrange- 
ment between the chief and the aggrieved people of Wethers- 
tield ; but Sowheag treated their advice in such an insulting 
manner, that they decided to send one hundred men to take 
the murderers by force. 

A messenger was sent to New Haven with the request 
that the authorities there should assist them in the expedi- 
tion. This they declined to do, expressing the fear that it 
might lead to a serious conflict with the Indians : as the 
result of this consultation, the plan was abandoned. 

Meanwhile word reached Hartford that a few of the 
Pequots, in violation of the recent treaty, were rebuilding 
their wigwams on the old hunting-grounds, and planting 
corn upon the fields they had promised never to enter again. 
Captain Mason was at once sent with forty Englishmen, with 
instructions to drive off the Indians, "burn their wigwams, 
and ])riug away their corn." Uncas, with one hundred of 
his waiTiors, was permitted to join the expedition. 

When Mason arrived at Pawcatuck (Stoningtpn), he met 
three Pequots, and kindly advised them to tell their people 
of his coming, and liave them go quickly and peaceably away. 



38 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



[1639. 



Either they failed to cany the report, or it was uot heeded ; 
for, when the English captain and his men surrounded the 
little village, the Indians were so surprised that the}' had 
no time to carry off their corn, but fled, leaving the aged 
and helpless of their number behind. 

The following day the wigwams were destroyed ; and the 
corn, kettles, mats, wampum, and other treasures, filled not 
only the vessel, but fifty canoes, thirty of which were taken 
from the Indians. 




NEW HAVEN AND ( ON NEC TICUT COLONIES. 



In August of this year (1G3U), the first steps were taken 
towards a union of the colonies for their mutual protection. 
The special purpose of this alliance was to guard the P'nglish 
settlements against the Dutch at New Netherlands (New 
York), whose recently appointed governor, William Kieft, 
had forbidden the English to carry on their trade at " Good 
Hope " (Hartford), and made a formal protest against their 
occupation of Quinnipiac (New Haven). 

At the October session of the General Court of Connecti- 
cut, the towns were authorized to manao;e their own internal 



1639. 



TO^YN KEGULATIONS. 



39 



affairs ; aud it was oideied that a careful description of all 
lauds sold or mortgaged, should be recorded in hooks pro- 
vided by the towus, aud directions were given regarding the 
recording of wills and the settlement of estates. These 
were important matters, for the New-England system of 
town-government has had an important influence in shaping 
the destiny and oovernment of the nation. 



J MiLFORD, The planters of Milford 
were most of them from the counties of 
Essex, Herefordshire, and York in Eng- 
land. A part of them removed from 
New Haven, and others came from Weth- 
ersfield, and the Rev. Peter Prudden 
became their pastor. Milford was an 
independent Commonwealth until 1642, 
wheu it united with New Haven. 



- Colonel Fenwick was one of the 
original patentees of the colony, and 
acted in their behalf. He instituted a 
civil government for the .Saybrook col 
ony, which remained independent until 
by purchase it was united with Conuec 
ticut in 1644. 



40 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



CHAPTER VI. 



THE CIVIL AND DOMESTIC LIFE OF THE EARLY 
SETTLERS. 

WHAT was the evcry-day life of the people? How did 
the}' manage their public affairs? These are more im- 
portant questions than those that refer to the troubles the 
colonists had with their Dutch neighbors and the Indians. 
First of all, let us notice how the towns were formed. 

These little republics of freemen 
have had more influence than any 
other institution on the destinies 
of our country, and the history of 
their growth is of deep interest.^ 

At the time the New-England 
colonies united in a league for 
mutual counsel and assistance, 
Connecticut (including Say brook) 
had six towns, and New Haven five. 
The General Court of each colony 
exercised the right of ownership 
and jurisdiction over the territory within its bounds. When 
a company of persons wished to settle — or plant, as it was 
called — a new town, they made their purpose known to the 
Court. A tract of land was granted to the company : if it 
was found that they were able to support a minister, they 
were authorized to establish a plantation and a church. The 
Court appointed a committee who fixed the bounds of the 
land, that at first was held ])y the company as proprietors 




UOL'SE OF A PIONEER. 



LIFE OF THE EAIJLY SETTLERS. 



41 



in common. From this time they could assemble in town- 
meeting, and transact matters connected with their local 
affairs. The location, size, and cost of the meeting-house, 
and the support of the minister, was the first important 
business. Then they decided as to the admission of new 
associates, distributed the land among individuals, voted as 
to the location of new roads, and looked after the general 
interests of the community very much as the towns do now. 

After a time it was found very in- 
convenient for the proprietors to come 
together often enough to act upon all 
items of business, and selectmen were 
chosen to administer the affairs of the 
township during the months that passed 
between the meetings. As this town 
system of government became more 
perfect in its working, not less than 
three nor more than nine selectmen 
were elected, according to the size 
of the township. Besides these, there 
were chosen a town clerk, a town 
treasurer, assessors of taxes, a school 
committee, constables, and other 
officers. 

In the early history, both of the Connecticut and New- 
Ilaven colonies, the judicial authorit}' was exercised by a 
(General Court of Magistrates. There were no professional 
hiwyers. A friend might appear in behalf of a prisoner or 
suitor, or they could plead their own cause. The Court 
looked after all matters that pertained to the welfare of the 
colony. Under the presiding care of Governor Haynes. the 
magistrates at Hartford listened to the farmer at Windsor, 
who complained that the Pequots had stolen his horse, and 
l)romised '' as far as lay in their power to deal with those 
Indians." 




PILLORV. 



4^ HISTOPvY OF CONNECTICUT. 

Swift puiiishmeut was meted out to evil-doers. One is- 
sentenced " to be w4iipt at a cart's tail upon a lecture day 
at Hartford," and another is "to stand upon the pillory 
from the ringing of the first bell to the end of the lecture," 
before receiving a whipping. A third criminal, more guilty 
than his companions, not only is to stand in the pillory and 
be whipped, but have the letter R burned upon his cheek. 

If the cattle of a farmer broke into the fields of his neigh- 
bor, " through defect in his fence," the Court saw to it that 
he paid for the " spoiled corn." In order to increase the 
supply of corn, so that they would not have to purchase it 
out of the colony, the Court granted one hundred acres of 
ploughed ground and twenty acres of meadow to any farmer 
with a team, provided he improved '^ twenty acres the first 
year, eighty acres the second year, and the w^hole hundred 
the third year." 

Attention was called to the necessity of raising hemp and 
flax for use in making " linen cloth," and it w^as ordered 
that every householder who kept a team should plant that 
3'ear (1640) at least one spoonful of English hempseed "in 
some fruitful soil." The next 3^ear they were to sow one 
rood of hemp or flax ; and if this were not done, they fell 
imder the censure of the Court. Complaint was made that 
hempseed could not be procured by some who desired it ; 
and it was ordered that any family that had more than a 
spoonful of the seed, and would not sell it, must plant as 
many spoonfuls as they refused to sell. 

The constables w^ere requested to bring before the Court 
any persons who demanded an exorbitant price for the articles 
the}' had to sell, and a watchful e3'e was kept upon those 
individuals whose "apparel" exceeded their condition and 
rank. Labor troubles were brought to a speedy end by the 
Court, which made out a schedule of wages, and declared the 
number of hours that constituted a working-day. Carpen- 
ters, plough-wrights, wheel-wrights, masons, joiners, smiths, 



LIFE OF THE EAKLY SETTLERS. 43 

and coopers could not ask more than twenty pence for a 
(lay's work from March 10 to October 11, nor above eighteen 
pence for the rest of the year. Eleven hours in summer, and 
nine in winter, constituted a working-daj'. After further 
particulars in regard to splitting and sawing boards, and the 
amount to be paid for the use of horses and cattle " with 
the tackling," it was ordered that any persons giving or 
taking larger wages than those mentioned, " should abide 
the censure of the Court." 

Turning to the records of the New-Haven coion3% we find 
that the Court dealt in the same vigorous and paternal 
manner with the common interests of the communities repre- 
sented. The system of trial by jur^^ was in force in Con- 
necticut, but New Haven could find nothing about jur^^nen 
in the Bible. In 1639 Connecticut accepted a brief code 
of " Capital Laws," which was almost a verbal copy of 
those adopted by Massachusetts the year previous. For 
many years New Haven had no statute laws, but was guided 
b}' rules of equity, and the commands which they found in 
the Scripture. Regulations regarding temperance, family 
government, and the keeping of the sabbath, were rigidly 
enforced; but the so-called ''Blue Laws" of New Haven 
never had an existence except in the imagination of Samuel 
Peters, the refugee lo3'alist. 

The humble homes of the Puritan settlers of Connecticut 
and New Haven reveal a domestic life of healthful toil and 
quiet happiness. The moral and religious character of the 
people developed earnest thought, and strength of purpose. 
They rejoiced in the civil liberty which the shelter of the 
wilderness made possible, and found their highest satisfac- 
tion in serving God, and seeking to know and do his will. 

I "Every Township is an inferior 1810). "He that will understand tlie 

Republic; possessing, under the control political character of New England," 

of the Legislature, the necessary powers says Bancroft, "must study the consti- 

to adjust all its local and peculiar con- tution of its towns, its schools, and its 

cerus " (President Timothy Dwight, militia." 



44 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [1640-43. 



CHAPTER VII. 
1640-1643. 

THE NEW-ENGLAND CONFEDERACY — DEATH OF 
MIANTONOMO. 

IN the year 1640 Uncas sold most of his land to the Eng- 
lish, with the understanding that his people should have 
the privilege of hunting and planting where they pleased. 
Tunxis (Farmington), with its beautiful meadows, and a 
part of Norwalk, were purchased and settled by a few fami- 
lies. New Haven acquired the Indian title of Greenwich ; 
but those who settled there, influenced alike by threats and 
promises, put themselves under the protection of the Dutch 
governor at New York.^ Both Connecticut and New Haven 
secured large tracts of land upon Long Island ; and the latter 
colony gained possession of a strip of countrv on the shores 
of the Delaware Bay and River, where trading-houses were 
erected, and about fifty families sent to settle.^ Stamford 
was also settled this year by a party from Wethersfield that 
decided to emigrate on account of an unhappy division that 
had arisen in the church there. 

In 1643, at the suggestion of Connecticut, a league^ was 
formed among the New-England colonies for " mutual aid 
and service.'* Each colony had the right to appoint two 
commissioners, and this body was to meet once a j^ear. The 
power was given them of framing laws for the regulation and 
protection of the Confederacy. 

Notwithstanding the agreement made at the time of the 



1643.] MIANTONOMO MARCHES AGAINST UNCAS. 45 

(iivisiou of the remnant of the Pequots, the Connecticut settlers 
gained information that led them to fear that Miantonomo, 
the Narragansett chief, was not only inciting his warriors to 
fight the Mohegans, but to murder the English. There was 
an uneasy feeling among the settlers ; they w^ent armed into 
their fields, and kept guard over their homes by night. 

Connecticut asked the Court at Boston to send one hun^ 
drcd men to Say brook Fort, but they declined to do so. 
^leanwhile Miantonomo, having collected a picked army of 
six hundred warriors, marched for the Mohegan country.^ 
Uncas, with his usual foresight, had stationed spies upon the 
mountain heights that overlooked the surrounding valle3^s. 
They discovered the Narragansetts as they were crossing a 
ford in the Shetucket River, and at once hastened to inform 
tiieir chief. Accompanied by about four hundred warriors, 
Uncas started to meet the enemy. He had reached the spot 
in the eastern part of the town of Norwich, now known as 
Sachem's Plain, when he learned that the Narragansetts 
were only a short distance away. They soon came in sight ; 
and Uncas sent a messenger to Miantonomo, asking for an 
interview. This was granted, and the two chiefs met at a 
point between their armies. 

Uncas opened the conversation, according to tradition, in 
these words : " You have a number of stout men with 3'ou, 
and so have I with me. It is a great pity that such brave 
warriors should be killed in a private quarrel between us 
only. Come like a man, as }'0u profess to be, and let us 
fight it out. If you kill me, my men shall be yours ; but if 
1 kill you, 3^our men shall be mine." 

" My men came to fight, and they shall fight," replied the 
Narragansett chief. Uncas instantly dropped to the ground, 
as a signal for his men to open the battle. The unexpected 
shower of arrows put the enemy to sudden flight ; and the 
INIohegans, with exultant cries, drove them over the rocks 
and precipices. Some of the swift-footed braves overtook 



46 



HISTOKY OF CONNECTICUT. 



1643. 



Miantonomo, and in various wa\s impeded his flight until 
Uncas came up, and put his hand upon his shoulder.^ He 
made no further resistance, but sat down upon tlie ground, 
and, without saying a word, looked his captor sullenl}^ in the 
face. 

Uncas gave an" Indian whoop that called his warriors about 
him. The victory was complete. The proud Narragansett 
chief made no request for mercy to himself or his men. 







GRAVE OF ilIA>iTONOMO. 



Uncas asked him why he did not speak. "Had you taken 
me," he said, '-I should have besought 3'ou for my life." 
The captives were taken to the Mohegan fort, and treated 
with kindness. Uncas was shrewd enough to know that it 
would be best to consult with the English as to what should 
be done with Miantonomo. Having taken his prisoner to 
Hartford, the time at length came for his trial. The charge 
that made the most impression upon the commissioners was 
that he had arranged a plan for cutting off the entire English 
population at a single blow. Had they not believed this 



1643.] DEATH OF MIANTONOMO. 47 

clmrge was sustained by the evidence, it is difficult to exon- 
erate tlie colonists for their action towards the fallen chief 
who had done them many favors in times past. 

The matter was finally referred to five leading clergymen 
of the several colonies, who advised that sentence of death 
should be passed upon the accused. This advice was fol- 
lowed by the commissioners, and the execution of the penalty 
was left with Uncas. The common tradition has been, that, 
having taken the captive chief back to the spot where he 
had been seized as a prisoner, the brother of Uncas, who 
was marching behind Miantonomo, with a single blow of 
his hatchet killed him. In the same spot, still known as 
''Sachem's Plain," he was l)urie<:l. An immense heap of 
stones long marked the grave, placed there by the hands 
of his tribe, who visited it at each anniversar}^ of the death of 
their chief, and with loud lamentations expressed their grief. 

Some vears ao;o a block of oranite, inscribed with his 
name and the year of his death, was placed over the grave 
of the brave and sifted Narrasfausett chief. 



1 Greenwich, seven years after this, ^ A League. This New-England 
was ceded back to New Haven by the Confederacy was very helpful to the 
boundary treaty, which was made with interests of the colonies, and especially 
S*.uyvesant. to Connecticut. The trouble with the 

2 Delaware Bay. The attempt to Dutch threatened hostilities, while the 
form a settlement met with ODuosition. Swedes were annoying the colony that 
both from the Sweues ano initcn. wno naa oeen sent ^/a Delaware Bav. The 
claimed the country. After the forma- Indians were restless, and the .'struggle 
tion of the union between the New-Eng- in England between the King and Par- 
land colonies, New Haven, through the liament made the colonists more anxious 
commissioners, sought to gain some sat- to unite for their mutual protection, 
isfaction for the iijjury the Dutch had Massachusetts, Plymouth, Connecticut, 
done the property of English settlers. and New Haven signed the articles of 
In 1651 another attempt was made to union. " The Confederates took the 
send a company to form a plantation. name of 'The United Colonies of New 
They were stopped by Governor Stuy- England.' It was a league for both war 
vesant at New York, and compelled to and peace, as mutual interest might de- 
return. The union failed to give any mand. Each colony retained its own 
assurance of protection ; and, while the independence in all things, though it 
matter of establishing a permanent plan- was bound to help all others at need, 
tation was agitated for a number of And the relative number of men that 
years, the plan was finally given up. each should furnish was agreed upon. 



48 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



If two hundred were wanted, Maseachu- 
8ett8 was to raise one hundred, while the 
quotas of the others were fixed at forty- 
tive each. This agreement was given 
effect by choosing two commissioners 
from each colony, who formed a board 
for settling all questions that should 
come before it" (Drake). 

* MiANTONOMO felt that the English 
had treated hlra wrongfully; but his 
anger was directed towards Uncas as 
the one who had not only sought to 
arouse the ill feeling of the English 
against him by false reports, but as the 
foe of his tribe and friends. Cncas had 



made war on Sequasson, a Connecticut 
sachem, who was a relative and ally of 
Miantonomo, and, after killing many of 
his men, had burnt their wigwams. 
When tidings of this attack upon his 
kinsman reached Miantonomo, he has- 
tened at once to march against Uncas, giv- 
ing notice of his intention to the English. 
5 Palfrey says (Hist. X. E., vol. ii. 
125), "Miantonomo, encumbered in his 
flight by some ' armor,' was dragged by 
two of his own captains to Uncas, who, 
with a sense of their treachery different 
from what thev had expected, laid them 
deaa at his feet.*' 



1643.] THE DUTCH AND THE INDIANS. 49 



CHAPTER VIII. 

1643-1645. 

TROUBLES WITH THE DUTCH AND THE INDIANS. 

rpHE early governors of New Netherlands (New York) 
-L persistently asserted the claim of Holland to the valley 
of the Connecticut and the adjoining country, on the ground 
that they had explored the coast and river, and bought lands, 
and traded with the Indians, both at " Good Hope " (Hart- 
ford), Saybrook (" Kievit's Hook"), and '^ Red Mount" 
(New Haven), some time before their settlement by the Eng- 
lish. A good deal of bad temper was stirred up, but fortu- 
nately it never developed into an open contest of arras. 
Their common danger from the Indians made them allies at 
the very time letters of fiery discussion were passing between 
the authorities. 

The sale of intoxicating liquors to the natives was the 
source of a very profitable trade to the Dutch merchants; 
but then, as now, it proved a terrible curse. The ignorant 
savages were made more brutal and bloodthirsty by the 
kindling of this awful appetite. The murder of a Dutch- 
man by a drunken Indian, and the massacre, soon after, of 
thirty friendly natives, by tlie Mohawks, led the governor 
of New Amsterdam to commission one of his captains to 
kill as many of the hostile tribe as he could find. 

This was the beginning of a guerilla warfare, in which 
the Indians set fire to farm and store houses, and sometimes 
killed their occupants. The Dutch governor found himself 



50 ^ HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [1644-45. 

ill a very iincomfoi'table position. He asked Captain Under- 
bill of Stamford to assist him, which so enraged Marine, his 
own hot-tempered commander, that he tried to kill him ; and 
the feeling among the people was such that his excellency 
hired a guard of fifty Englishmen to protect his person. 

Among the victims of this war was the notorious Mrs. 
Hutchinson. After her banishment from Massachusetts on 
account of her strange relioious beliefs, she found refuoe in 
Rhode Island, where she remained until the death of her 
husband, when she emigrated to the wilderness beyond 
Stamford. It was here, while seeking to gaiu the good will 
of the natives, that she with her entire family, and several 
neighbors, were treacherously murdered by the Indians, with 
the exception, of a single daughter, who was carried into 
captivity. 

In the year 16-14 the colonists were depressed by many 
anxieties. Tidings came of the civil war that was ragino- in 
England ; and at home the savages, on every side, were 
turbulent and threatening. The Narragausetts, eager and 
determined, sought to avenge the death of Miantonomo ; and 
the Indians in the western part of the State, who had been 
heretofore peaceable, seemed to catch the fierce and warlike 
spirit of their neighbors, and committed terrible ci'imes 
against life and property. 

In the following 3'ear (1645) whole settlements in Virginia 
were destroyed at a single stroke ; and the settlers had reason 
to believe that the New-England Indians were arranging an 
alliance with the Southern tribes, with the purpose of de- 
stroying the entire Epglish population. 

Steps were taken to quell the quarrel between the Narra- 
gausetts and Mohegans. At the request of the commission- 
ers, then in session at Hartford, the Narragausetts sent one 
of their chiefs, and Uncas came in behalf of the Mohegans. 
Uncas denied the principal grievance of the Narragansetts, 
— that he had received a ransom for the life of Miantonomo, 



1644-45.] THE TURCHASE OF SAYBKOOK. 51 

and after liis death had refused to return it. The decision 
of the commissioners was in his favor ; and the Narragansett 
chief agreed that his people should defer hostilities until after 
the next year's planting-time, and that thirty days' notice 
should be given to the governors of Massachusetts and Con- 
necticut before the war commenced. 

That the Indians stood in peculiar awe of the English is 
illustrated by a visit that was made, about this time, to Hart- 
ford by four sachems from the east end of Long Island. 
They appeared before the commissioners, and said that their 
tril3es had paid tribute to the white men ever since the*Pequot 
war, and they desired a certificate of their good behavior, 
and the assurance of the protection of the English as long 
as they were peaceable. The paper was cheerfully given, 
and the delegation returned home highly gratified. 

In December, 1G44, a matter was settled, that not only in- 
creased the strength of the Connecticut colony, but decided 
(piestions in regard to title, that might have made much 
trouble. The General Court purchased from Colonel Fen- 
wick, and those he represented, the fort at Sa3'brook, with 
the adjoining lands and buildings, and also every claim that 
they had to the surrounding country.^ It was agreed that 
Colonel Fenwick should be allowed the use of all the houses 
belonging to the fort for a period of ten years, and that a 
duty for the same length of time should be paid to him on 
all beaver, grain, and biscuit exported from the river. -^ The 
fort was at once put in good repair ; and Colonel Fenwick 
was requested to act as the agent of the colony in England, 
for the purpose of securing an " enlargement of the patent, 
and to furnish other adVantages." 

In violation of the recent treaty, the Narragansetts, in the 
summer of 1645, marched to the Mohegan country, and at- 
tacked Uncas in his fort. So determined were they to an- 
nihilate their old enemy, that Connecticut and New Haven 
sent a few soldiers to aid the Mohegans. A special meeting 



52 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



[1645. 



of the commissioners was called ; and messengers were de- 
spatched by them to the sachems of the contending tribes, 
asking their presence in person, or by representatives, to 
give their reasons for making war. This they declined to do. 
and the Narragansett chiefs returned a threatening and ni- 
sulting answer. Even Roger Williams of Rhode Island, 
whose voice was generally on the side of peace, felt that it 
was necessary to prepare for an impending war. Three 
hundred men were gathered by formal proclamation, and 
placed under the command of Major Edward Gibbons. Cap- 
tain Mason and Lieutenant Robert Seeley had charge of the 
Connecticut and New-Haven forces. 




KING PHILIP'S WAMPUM BELT. 



Alarmed by the prompt action of the colonies, the Narra- 
gansetts sent a present to Governor Winthrop of Massachu- 
setts, asking for peace, but begging the privilege of fighting 
the Mohegans, and avenging the death of Miantonomo. Tiie 
i)resent was returned by the commissioners, who sent word 
to Pessacus, Canonicus, and the other sachems of the Narra- 
gansetts and Niantics, that they would accept neither gift nor 
terms of peace until they had atoned for past offences, and 
given pledges of future good behavior. The sachems, with 
Pessacus at their head, soon came to Boston, and appeared 
before the commissioners. They denied that they had been 
guilty of violating the old treaty, and renewed their accusa- 
tions against Uncas, while giving assurance that the}' would 
not begin the war against the Mohegans before the next 
planting-time. 



1645. 



FARMINGTON INCORPORATED. 



53 



The commissioners, in a few plain, indignant words, gave 
the proofs that their statement regarding the keeping of the 
treaty was false, and assured them that they did not pro- 
pose to let matters go on as they had done. The Indians 
finally acknowledged their treachery, and one of the leading 
chiefs humbly presented a stick to the commissioners as a 
token of submission. A new treaty was made, by which the 
hostile tribes restored to Uncas all the captives and canoes 
they had taken from him, and, as a pledge of good faith, 
gave hostages to the English, and agreed to pay '' two thou- 
sand fathom of good white wampum," ^ in four instalments. 

The settlement made on the Tunxis (Farmington) River in 
1640 was incorporated in 1645, and given the name of Farm- 
ington. Th-e township included the territory that has since 
l)een divided into the towns of Southington, Berlin, New 
l^ritain, Bristol, Burlington, Avon, and Plain ville. 

George Wyllys,^ elected governor of Connecticut in 1642, 
died in 1645. 



J This sale, on the part of Fenwick, 
included the fort at Saybrook and the 
land upon the river, with a pledge, on 
his part, to convey to the colony, "if it 
come into his power," all the land be- 
tween Saybrook and Xarragausett River, 
included in the old patent. This convey- 
ance does not appear to have been made. 
As late as 1661 the colony did not have 
even a copy of the patent. When Gov- 
ernor Winthrop went to England to 
procure the charter of 1662, he was re- 
quested by the General Court to secure, 
if possible, a copy to aid him in assert- 
ing the rights of the colony. Through 
the kindness of the executor of Mr. 
Hopkins, a copy was found among the 
papers that were left by this gentleman 
on his death. "Winthrop brought it home 
with him, and some years since it was 
discovered among the old files in the 
State Department by Dr. J. H. Trum- 
bull. " The settlers of the river towns 



had not — before or after the agreement 
with Mr. Fenwick — any right of juris- 
diction except such as grew out of oc- 
cupation, purchase from the native 
proprietors, or (in the case of the Pequot 
territory) of conquest. Their policy 
seems to have been to dispose as ipuctlif 
and cheaply as possible of the claims of 
such as challenged their title, — into the 
exact nature of which they were not dis- 
posed to provoke too close an investiga- 
tion " (J. H. Trumbull, Col. Ilec. of 
Conn., vol. ii. 569). 

- The " Saybrook impost " was th<? 
occasion of a very serious difference be- 
tween Massachusetts and Connecticut. 
Of the settlements then existing on the 
river, one town, Springfield, was withiti 
the jurisdiction of Massachusetts. The 
people of Springfield refused to pay any 
duties to the officers appointed to collect 
them, claiming that, as they belonged to 
Massachusetts, they ought not to \w 



5i 



HI.STOIIV OF CONNECTICUT. 



taxed for the benefit of Connecticut. 
The queHtion was referred to the com- 
missioners of the colonies for their decis- 
ion. New Haven and Plymouth acted 
as arbitrators. The matter came up for 
bearing, under various pretexts, during 
the three following years; and each time 
the decision was, that the "impost" 
ought to be paid by the Springfield 
traders as well as by those in Conuecti 
cut. Massachusetts was not pleased by 
this decision, and sought to retaliate by 
placing a duty on all goods imported 
from Connecticut, as well as New Haven 
and Plymouth, to Boston, or exported 
from there to these colonies. This act 
was repealed the next year (1650). The 
entire discussion caused a good deal of 
ill feeling, and has been a fruitful topic 
for historians of later times to dwell 
upon. 

"• Wampitm. Drake, in his " Making 
of New England," says, "Among the 
New-England Indians the manufacture 
and use of wampum, or shell-money, 
seems to have begun with the Narragan- 
setts, who sold it to the whites, who 
again used it the same as money in buy- 
ing furs of the Eastern Indians, by whom 
wampum came to be highly prized. 
In short, it represented the wealth 
of a tribe. But wampum had for the 
Indian a higher meaning. Beautifully 
wrought, the belts, or strings, of shells 
stood, not only as his highest work of art 
and workmanship, but were his records, 
his tokens or pledges of friendship, or 
his credentials to other peoples or tribes. 
The Indians had no written records; and 
belts of wampum were exchanged be- 
tween tribes to ratify treaties of peace 
or war, or as pledges of the good faith 
of the parties. Hence, they not only 
bore a character of sacreduess, but sym- 
bolized the whole history of a war, a 
great council, or other remarkable event 
in the history of a tribe. No two belts 



were exactly alike. Some are very beau- 
tiful indeed, and show the Indian's ap- 
preciation of art, as the idea of the belt 
itself does the poetic side of his nature. 
At certain seasons the Indians used to 
meet, in order to study the meaning, and 
renew the memories, of the wampum 
belts. Seated in a circle, the belts were 
passed from hand to hand, while the 
story of each was being repeated by the 
old men of the tribe. In this way what 
each belt stood for was made familiar to 
old and young. Boys who were the 
sons of chiefs were admitted to these 
talks, in order that they might get ac- 
quainted with the concerns of their tribe, 
at a time when such things impress 
themselves most. Wampum also was 
sometimes given in pledge for private 
friendship. There is no instance of such 
a promise ever having been broken by 
an Indian. Wampum was made from 
the inner wreath of the cockle or peri- 
winkle, some shells being white, and 
others blue, veined with purple. The 
white beads were used by the Indians 
for stanching the flow of blood from a 
wound. Its commercial value differed 
as much as gold and silver, being first 
determined by the quality, and next by 
the workmanship. In trade the strings 
passed at so much a fathom (six feet). 
Having little gold and silver, the whites 
soon adopted wampum as a medium of 
trade." 

4 George Wyllys was of an old 
and honored English family, and in- 
herited a valuable estate in the county 
of Warwick. In 1636 Mr. Wyllys sent , 
over his steward, with twenty men, with 
orders to purchase a site, and build a 
house, in Hartford for his use. Two 
years after this he left England, and 
came to Connecticut. He held a promi- 
nent position in the colony, and was 
elected a magistrate annually until the 
time of his death. i 



1646.1 DISCOVER Y OF AN INDIAN PLOT. 55 



CHAPTER IX. 

1646-1647. 

DISCOVERY OF AN INDIAN PLOT. 

rPHE wise leaders of affairs in Connecticut early saw that 
L it was desirable to have a written code of laws. In 164G 
the Cui-irt " desired " Roger Ludlow '' to take some pains in 
drawing- forth a body of laws for the government of this 
Commonwealth." Three years passed before his work was 
completed and the code adopted.^ 

The year was marked by a renewal of the controversy 
between Governor Kieft of New Netherlands and the colo- 
nial authorities. This warfare of words did not trouble 
them, however, as seriously as the treachery of once friendl}' 
tril)es of Indians. The inhabitants of Windsor suffered 
severe losses from the destruction of property ; and a plot 
to murder Governor Ilaynes, Gov^ernor Hopkins, and Mr. 
AVhiting, a prominent magistrate, was traced to Sequasson, 
a River Indian. Fortunately the Waranoke brave, whom he 
had hired to do the deed, betrayed his employer, and in- 
formed the authorities at Hartford of their danger. 

The Mohawks constantly harassed the weak Indian tribes, 
scattered through the western part of the State ; but they 
were shrewd in keei)ing on good terms with the English. 
An interesting story, illustrating Indian character, is con- 
nected with the early history of Milford. A company of 
Mohawks came within the borders of the town, and la}' 
in the ambush of a swamp waiting to attack the Milford 



56 HISTOPvY OF CONNECTICUT. [l646. 

Indians. The English discovered their hiding-place, and 
apprised their neighbors of the danger. They gathered in 
large numbers, and suddenly surrounded the Mohawks, who 
were taken by surprise, and easily defeated. Among the 
prisoners was a stalwart warrior, whom his captors tied to 
a stake, and left in the tali grass of the swamp to die of 
starvation. An Englishman found the poor savage in this 
cruel plight, and, cutting the thongs that bound his limbs, 
set him at liberty. Having given him food and shelter, he 
aided his escape. This kindness was never forgotten by the 
Mohawks. They always treated the citizens of Milford with 
marked civility, and in various wa3's sought to show their 
gratitude to the one who had given his aid. 

Tobacco was first brought into use about this time ; and 
the Connecticut colony passed a curious law in regard to it, 
that we give as it stands on the original records. 

"tobacko. 

" Forasmuch as it is observed, that many abuses are crept in, and 
committed, by frequent taking of tobacko: 

"/i is ordered hi/ the authority of this Courte, That no person 
under the age of twenty years, nor any other, that hath not already 
accustomed himselfe to the use thereof, shall take any tobacko, untill 
hee hath brought a cirtificate under the hand of some who are aj)- 
proved for knowledge and skill in phisick, that it is usefull for him, 
and allso, that hee hath received a lycense from the Courte, for the 
same, — And for the regulating of those, who either by theire former 
taking it, have to their own apprehensions, made it necessary to them, 
or upon due advice, are persuaded to the use thereof: 

" It is ordered, That no man witliin this colonye, after the publica- 
tion .hereof, shall take any tobacko, publicquely, in the street, nor 
shall any take it in the fields or woods, unless when they be on their 
travel or journey at least 10 miles, or at the ordinary tyme of repast 
called dynner, or if it be not then taken, yet not above once in the 
day at most, & then not in company with any other, under the pen- 
alty of six-pence for each offence against this order, in any the 
perticulars thereof, to bee paid without gainesaying uppon conviction, 
by the testimony of one witness, that is without just exception." 



1647.] NEW LONDON FOUNDED. 57 

In the spring of 1G46, John Winthrop, jiin., under the 
nuspices of Massachusetts, began a settlement near Pequot 
Harbor. This territory was ehiimetl, both by Massachusetts 
and Connecticut. Mr. Winthrop removed his family from 
Boston in the fall of 1G4G. They spent the winter upon 
Fisher's Island, but in the spring they settled on the main- 
land. This was the beginning of the city of New London. 
In 1647 the territory was conceded to belong to Connecticut, 
and the General Court suggested that the place be called 
'•Fair Harbor;" but the settlers finally decided upon the 
name of New London. The "Pequot River" was there- 
after known as the '*• Thames." 

A romantic interest is attached to the death of the wife 
of Colonel Fenwick of Saybrook, that is supposed to have 
occurred not far from this time. Lady Fenwick was the 
daughter of Sir Edward Apsley of England, and came to 
this country, cherishing the hope with her husband, that a 
beautiful and flourishing city might spring up where the 
waters of the Connecticut flowed into the Sound. The great 
leaders of the Revolution in England, like Cromwell and 
Hampden, were among those who planned to make this spot 
their future home, should they be compelled to leave their 
native land. The friends whom Lady Fenwick expected to 
welcome did not come, and she spent the remaining years 
of her life in the loneliness of surroundings that must have 
often seemed sad and strange in contrast with those of other 
days. Her tomb of hewn blocks of sandstone, without name 
or inscription, stood in a conspicuous spot not far from the 
old fort. Some years since, in building the Valley railroad, 
it was necessary to disturb this ancient memorial ; and it was 
removed with every care to the cemetery near at hand. 

The death of the Rev. Thomas Hooker, ^ in the summer 
of 1647, was a severe attiiction to the infant colony of 
Connecticut. Recognized as " the light of the Western 
churches," the historian Bancroft says, '-He had no rival 



58 



HISTOKV OF CONNECTICUT. 



in public estimation but Cotton Mather, whom he surpassed 
in force of character, in liberality of spirit, in soundness of 
judgment, and in clemency. They who judge men by their 
services to the human race, will never cease to honor the 
memory of Hooker." 



1 Until this code was established, 
punishment was left to the discretion of 
the Court, and was sometimes arbitrary 
and uncertain. The code was by no 
means an original composition on the 
part of Ludlow. It is a compilation 
from the code of Massachusetts and 
other existing law. 

2 Mr. Hooker fell a victim to an 
epidemic disease that carried off many 
Indians as well as Dutch and English. 
Cotton Mather has left an account of his 
death, in which he says, " In the time of 
his sickness, he did not say much to the 
standers-by; but being asked that he 
would utter his apprehensions about 
some important things, especially about 
the state of New England, he answered, 



* I have not that work now to do : I havo 
already declared the counsel of the 
Lord.' And when one that stood weep- 
ing by his bedside said to him, 'Sir, you 
are going to receive the reward of all 
your labors,' he replied, ' Brother, I am 
going to receive mercy.' Closing his 
eyes with his own hands, the glorious 
peace of soul which he had enjoyed 
without interruption for near thirty 
years together, so gloriously accompa- 
nied him, that a worthy spectator, writ- 
ing to Mr. Cotton, a relative thereof, 
made this reflection : ' Truly, sir, the 
sight of his death will make me have 
more pleasant thoughts of death than 
ever I yet had iu my life.' " 



1649.] UNCAS AND THE NAliKAGANSETTS. 59 



CHAPTER X. 

1647-1651. 

UNCAS AND THE NARRAGANSETTS. 

THE Narragausett and Niantic Indians broke their pledge 
of peace at the first opportunity. They failed to furnish 
the wampum they had agreed to pay, and hired bands of 
Pocomtocks ^ and Mohawks to assist them in their war of 
extermination asjainst the Mohesrans. The ojovernor sent 
Thomas Stanton to Pocomtock, at the head of a deputation 
that found the Indians armed, and waiting for their Mohawk 
allies. The stern threats of Stanton, that the English would 
avenge any wrong that Uneas suffered, had the desired effect ; 
and, the Mohawks failing to come, the Narragansetts gave up 
these plans of w^ar, although they injured and wantonly de- 
stroyed a large amount of property in Rhode Island. 

In 1649 the old feud broke out again. Enraged that they 
had been so often baffled in their attempts to destroy the 
hated Mohegans, the Narragausett and Niantic chiefs plotted 
the assassination of Uncas. The Indian whom they hired to 
do this deed went on board a vessel where Uncas was, and 
stabbed him in the breast. The wound did not prove fatal ; 
and as soon as Uncas was sufficiently recovered, he appeared 
before the commissioners to tell the stor}^ of his wrongs. 
Ninigret, the Niantic chief, was summoned to appear, and 
clear himself of the charge made against himself and Pes- 
sacus, that they had hired the assassin of Uncas. His de- 
fence proved very lame ; and the commissioners gave him 



60 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l650. 

to understand, that, unless he kept the pledges heretofore 
given, he must suffer the consequences. 

Uncas started a rumor that caused considerable anxiety, 
to the effect that a son or brother of Sassacus was negotiat- 
ing an alliance with Ninigret by marriage with his daughter, 
and that he was to receive the support of the Narragansetts 
and Niantics in assuming the position of chief over the 
Pequots. Uncas had so many reasons for wishing the Eng- 
lish to believe this story, that it looks as if it might have 
had a reality in his imagination alone. He had treated the 
captive Pequots in the most cruel manner ; and the wretched 
remnant of the once proud tribe, year after year, came 
before the commissioners with a narrative of wrongs that 
ought to have mitigated their condition long before it did. 
Uncas was faithful to the English, but his actions towards 
other tribes of Indians were marked by perfidy and cruelty. 

The Narragansetts still neglected to {my the wampum now 
long due ; and in the autumn of 1650, Captain Humphrey 
Atherton of Massachusetts was sent with twenty men to 
enforce the payment. 

Pessacus met the little company with a long speech, which 
gave his warriors time to gather in increasing numl)er. 
Without waiting for the conclusion of the oration, the brave 
English captain rushed into the wigwam, and seized the 
Narragansett chief by the hair of his head, and, pointing a 
loaded pistol at his person, told him he would blow his 
brains out if he offered the least resistance. The cowed and 
trembling sachem then and there counted out the wampum 
that a moment before he had loudly protested was not in his 
possession. 

Having finished his errand with Pessacus in this summary 
fashion, Atherton hastened to visit Ninigret, who was thor- 
oughly intimidated by the message which he brought to him. 

His Excellency, Peter Stuyvesant, was now governor of 
New Netherlands. Soon after he assumed the duties of liis 



1650.] GOVERNOR STUYVESANT AT HARTFORD. 61 

office, iu 1647, the commissioners, in the name of tlie colonies 
of New England, sent him a congratuhitory letter, in which 
the}' took occasion to call his attention to some matters in 
which they thought their Dutch neighbors had done them 
wrong. As time went by, the situation grew worse ; and on 
Sept. 11, 1650, the Dutch governor came to Hartford. He 
declined to attend the meetings of the commissioners, and 
his request that the business should be transacted by written 
communications was granted. The war of words that had 
so long been in progress now culminated in a substantial 
recognition of the claims of the colonists, and the estab- 
lishment of a boundary- that was of great advantage to 
them . 

War having broken out between England and Holland, 
with prudent foresight, the General Court of Connecticut 
ordered that the fort at Saybrook should be put iu readiness 
for attack, and that the families in the vicinity should be 
brought within the enclosure. It was reported that a plan 
was being concerted between hostile Indian tribes and the 
authorities of New Netherlands for the extermination of the 
English. This report was indignantly and, no doubt, justly 
denied by Governor Stuyvesant ; but the colonists were in a 
very excited and distrustful state of mind. 

The tide of feeling ran high on both sides ; and the com- 
missioners, with the exception of Bradstreet, were in favor 
of declaring war. That gentleman represented the position 
and wishes of the General Court of Massachusetts. The 
stubborn determination of their delegates against the wi'.l 
of the other colonies, then, as at other times, threatened the 
dissolution of the Union. ^ Indignant at the action of Mas- 
sachusetts, Connecticut and New Haven appealed to Eng- 
land for help. This appeal was not in vain, and they were 
rejoiced to hear that ships and men would soon be sent to 
aid them. 

Norwalk, the eastern part of which was purchased by 



62 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



[1651. 



Roger Ludlow from the ludians in 1640, was incorporated 
by Connecticut at the General Court of 1651. The planters 
to whom the grant was given did not remove to their new 
home until that year. 

During the same year (1651) Mattabesett w^as first settled 
by the English, and in the fall of 1653 its name was changed 
to Middletown. 



' A TRIBE which held the country 
about Deerlield in Massachusetts. 

- Boundary. The commissioners 
chose Bradstreet of Boston, and Prince 
of Plymouth, and Governor Stuyvesant 
chose Thomas Willet and George Bax- 
ter, as arbitrators. They disposed of the 
boundary question in these terms : — 

"I. That upon Long Island, a line 
run from the westermost part of Oyster 
Bay, and so on a streight and direct line 
to the sea, shall be the bounds betwixt 
the English and the Dutch there, the 
easterly to belong to the English, and 
the westermost to the Dutch. 

" II. The bounds upon the Main to 
begin at the West side of Greenwich 
Bay, being about four miles from Stam- 
ford, and so to run a northerly line, 
twenty miles up into the country, and 
after, as it shall be agreed, by the two 
governments of the Dutch and New 
Haven, provided the said line come not 
within ten miles of Hudson's River. 
And it is agreed, that the Dutch shall 
not at any time hereafter, build any 
house or habitation within six miles ot 
the said line: the inhabitants of Green- 
v;jch to remain (till further consideration 



thereof be had) under the government of 
the Dutch. 

" III. The Dutch shall hold and enjoy 
all the lands in Hartford that, they are 
actually possessed of, known and set out 
by certain marks and bounds, and all the 
remainder of the said land, on both sides 
of Connecticut River, to be and remain 
to the English there. And it is agreed 
that the aforesaid bounds and limits, 
both upon the island and main, shall be 
observed and kept inviolable, both by the 
English of the united colonies, and all 
the Dutch nation, without any encroach- 
ment or molestation, until a full and linal 
determination be agreed upon in Europe, 
by the mutual consent of the two states 
of England and Holland." 

3 " So long as the Confederacy acted 
in accordance with the wishes of Massa- 
chusetts, all went well; but when she 
differed from the others, she was ready 
to dissolve the Union rather than yield " 
(Lodge's History of the English Colonies 
in America). Mk. Lodge is a loyal sou 
of Massachusetts ; but this frank observa- 
tion, it seems to us, is in accord with the 
facts of history. 



1653.1 COLONIES THllEATENED BY THE DUTCH. 6-3 



chaptp:r XI. 

1653-1657. 

STAMFORD AND FAIRFIELD THREATENED BY T^E DUTCH. 

rPHE hostile attitude of affairs between the Dutch aud 
-L English was especialh' trying and disastrous to the 
towns west of New Haven. Stamford and Fairfield were 
exposed to imminent danger, and felt that the colonial au- 
thorities did them a serious wrong in failing to send troops 
for their protection. Stamford threatened to discontinue 
the payment of taxes to Connecticut, and place herself under 
the immediate protection of P^ngland. Fairfield went so far 
as to vote in town-meeting to raise ti'oops without consulting 
the colony, and carrj^ on war themselves.^ This independ- 
ent and plucky action met with a severe reprimand. 

Not far from this time, the captain of a small armed vessel 
was arrested, under orders of the New-Haven colon}', for 
carrying on an illegal trade with the Dutch at Manhattan. 
While the trial was in progress, the sailors pulled up anchor, 
and sailed out of Milford Harbor. A company of brave 
Milford citizens at once manned a vessel, and, arming it as 
best they could, started in pursuit. They pressed the fugi- 
tive so hard that the crew betook themselves to their skiff, 
and left their well-equipped vessel at the mercy of the gal- 
lant pursuers, who brought it back to their harbor, where she 
was condemned, with her cargo, as a lawful prize. 

The fleet which Cromwell had sent, at the request of Con- 
necticut and New Haven, had arrived in Boston Harbor. 



64 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l654. 

Commissioners were at once despatclied from both colonies 
to Boston, to make arrangements for the campaign. They 
were more than willing to raise their proportion of an army 
of fifteen hundred men. If Massachusetts was unwilling to 
take part in the war, " rather than the design should fall," 
they would engage to furnish four or five hundred men f 
they were put under commanders whom their agents ap- 
proved. Tidings of peace in Europe put an end to the ex- 
pedition, not without regret on the part of Connecticut and 
New Haven, for they had strong hopes that it would rid 
them of their troublesome Dutch neighbors. 

Ninigret continued to harass the Long-Island Indians ; and 
the commissioners sent a company of soldiers, under com- 
mand of Major Willard, with orders, not only to compel 
the Niantic chief to desist from waging further war upon 
the Montauk Indians, but also to demand payment of the 
tribute still due, and take from him the captive Pequots in- 
trusted to his care. Willard found that Ninigret had anti- 
cipated his visit, and taken refuge with his braves in a 
swamp several miles away. AYithout attempting to follow 
him, the English returned to Connecticut, followed by nearly 
one hundred miserable Pequots, whose pra3'er for protection 
was granted. Under the charge of an Indian governor, who 
ruled them b}^ a code of laws specially prepared, they were 
given a tract of land on the Paucatuck and Mystic Rivers, 
and were permitted to hunt in the forests west of the 
Mystic. 

Ninigret, as soon as he came out of his unmolested place 
of concealment, renewed the war against the Montauk tribe, 
and did great injury to the property of the English settlers 
at East Hampton and South Hampton. In response to a 
further appeal for help, an armed vessel, under command of 
Captain John Youngs, was sent to watch the movements of 
the Niantics.. This, for the time, proved an effectual barrier 
against the turbulent spirit and plans of Ninigret. 



1657.] NORWICH SETTLED. 65 

The New-Haven colony received an urgent invitation from 
Cromwell to emigrate to Jamaica, which met at first with a 
very favorable reception. The Protector held out the most 
liberal inducements, and the plan was very pleasing to those 
who had been disappointed in the New-England settlement 
as a place of trade. The towns outside of New Haven did 
not favor the scheme, and after much discussion the Court 
decided that it was not wise to make the change. 

The year was marked by quarrels and wars between the 
scattered bands of Indians within the territory of the colonies. 
I' ncas appears to have shown an ugly and treacherous temper, 
that sought in every possible way to foment trouble. The 
feud still raoed between his tribe and the Narrasfansetts. 
Pessacus, by a stealthy and sudden approach, surrounded 
Uncas in his fort ; but the wily chief contrived to send 
word of his critical position to the garrison at Saybrook. 
Tliomas Leffingwell, an ensign at the fort, was permitted to 
load a canoe with provisions, which, having paddled into 
the mouth of the Thames River under cover of the night, 
he brought to the famishing Mohegans. With courage and 
strength restored, Uncas led his warriors in such a furious 
charge that the Narragansetts were utterl}' routed. There is 
a tradition that the Mohegan chief, as an expression of his 
gratitude, gave Ensign Leffingwell a deed of nearly the whole 
of the present town of Norwich. It is the truth of historic 
record, however, that in 1659 Uncas, for seventy pounds, 
gave a deed of a large tract of land to an English company 
at Saybrook, that included the same territory. 

Major Mason was at the head of the company, that in- 
cluded the pastor of the Saybrook church and most of its 
members, which in the spring of 1660 settled at Norwich. 

During the few years covered by this chapter, the colonists 
were called to mourn the loss of some of their most distin- 
guished citizens. John Ha3-nes, the first governor of Con- 
necticut, and who held that office every alternate year until 



66 HISTORY OF CON>ECTICUT. [l657. 

his decease, died iu 1654. The owner of an elegant estate 
in England, with an annual income of five tliousand dollars, 
he joined his fortunes with that of his intimate and admired 
friend, Hooker, and was a leader in the little band that 
settled Hartford. Pleasant in manner, and well balanced in 
character and judgment, he was universally respected and 
beloved. 

Edward Hopkins, an opnlent London merchant, first came 
to this country with the company that settled at New Haven. 
He soon decided to remove to Hartford, and for eleven years 
was elected governor of Connecticut alternately with Haynes. 
The death of his brother, in 1653, made it necessary for him 
to visit England. He expected to return in a short time, 
but Cromwell required his services. He was appointed a 
warden of the fleet, and commissioner of the admiralty ; and 
at the time of his death, March, 1657, he was a member of 
Cromwell's last Parliament. By his will, he gave most of 
his property to further the cause of education in New Eng- 
land. The public grammar schools of New Haven, Hart- 
ford, and Hadley, and also Harvard College, were recipients 
of his generous gift. Hopkins was a man of great executive 
aljility, and trained in the practical management of affairs. 
He was connected with the family of Governor Eaton by 
marriage, and the friendship between them was both strong 
and tender. - 

Theophilus Eaton, who died at his home in New Haven, 
Jan. 7, 1657, was the first governor of that colonj^ and con- 
tinued in that office until his death. The son of an English 
clergyman, he earl}' enteied upon a distinguished mercantile 
career. For a time he acted as an ambassador of the king 
at the court of Denmark, and upon his return accumulated 
large wealth as a merchant in London. He held earnestly 
to the opinions that found expression in the constitution of 
the New-Haven colony, and did all that was in his power to 
sustain them. Active and wise in the guidance of public 



t657.] JOHN WINTHKOP ELECTED GOVERNOR. 67 

jift'airs, his private life was marked by generous hospitality 
and consistent [)iety.^ 

In the spring of 1G57, John Winthrop of New London 
was chosen governor of Connecticut. Massachusetts had 
done all in its power to retain his services, and for many 
3'ears he w^as elected a magistrate of that colony. He de- 
clined a flattering invitation to return and make his home 
with them, and in 1651 he became a freeman of Connecticut. 
At the very beginning of his administration of the high office 
in which he was to perform such signal and honored services, 
important changes were made. Every freeman was admitted 
on the vote of the central government of the colony. A troo|) 
of horse were for the first time enrolled. Important action 
was taken, by which new churches could only be .formed b}' 
the consent of the General Court and the approbation of 
neighboring churches. New interest was taken in the reli- 
gious instruction of the Indians, and more care shown in 
makiuor liberal contributions to tlie colles^e at Cambridse. 



1 RoGEH Ludlow was made com- following spring he left Connecticut, and 

mander of the town militia. This ie probably sailed from Virginia to Eng- 

about the last we hear of this gifted land, and spent his last days there, 
man, whose faults of temper sadly de- - On his death-bed in England, he 

tracted, both from his judgment and said, " How often have I pleased myself 

influence. At once ambitious and iras- with thoughts of a joyful meeting with 

cible, he failed to secure the positions he my father Eaton! T remember with 

coveted, although his ability was recog- what pleasure he would come down the 

nized in many ways. lie left Massachu- street, that hr> might meet me when I 

setts, and joined his fortunes with the came from Hartford to New Haven ; but 

early settlers of Connecticut, because with how much greater pleasure shall 

he felt that others less worthy than him- we shortly meet one another in heaven." 
self were preferred before him. It would s The colony erected a monument to 

appear that the same reasons influenced his memory, bearing this inscription : — 



him in going to Fairfield. His impetuous 



Eaton, so famed, so wise, so meek, so 



spirit broke out in full force against the ■ ^ 

Dutch ; and when both New Haven and ^hc Phanix of our world, here bides his 

Connecticut showed their displeasure at dust: 

the action of Fairfield, he expressed his This name forget, New England never 

indiguatiou iu the strongest terras. The must." 



68 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [I66O. 







CHAPTER XII. 
THE STORY OF THE REGICIDES. 

N the 27th of July, 1660, a ship arrived in Boston, bring- 
inor intelliojence that Charles II. had ascended the throne 
of England. 

Before his restoration, the king promised that forgiveness 
would be granted to all who should give their allegiance to 
his authority, except those who might be condemned by 
Parliament. 

The House of Commons was disposed to pardon, even the 
members of the court that had condemned Charles I. to 
death ; but the Lords insisted that they should be brought 
to trial. Following this advice, the king issued a proclama- 
tion, declaring that such of the judges of iiis father as did 
not surrender within fourteen days would receive no pardon. 

Nineteen delivered themselves up ; while others, in the 
attempt to flee, were overtaken, and brought back to the trial 
that ended in the condemnation and execution of ten of 
these unhapp}" men. 

Of the regicides who escaped by flight, three found shelter 
in New England. Edward Whalley and William Goff"e ar- 
rived at Boston in July, 1660, and John Dixwell came later. 
The romantic story of their life and wanderings is in many 
ways woven into the history of the State. When they first 
reached Boston, it was thought that their exile would be 
temporary, and that the}' would receive the royal forgive- 
ness. Governor Endicott and other prominent citizens ex- 
tended the hospitalities of their homes to these distinguished 



1661.] THE STOllY OF THE REGICIDES. 69 

strangers, and they did not hesitate to appear in public 
places. When word was received, however, that they were 
looked upon as traitors by the king, the general feeling 
changed towards them. 

Having learned that the Massachusetts authorities were 
seriously considering the question of their apprehension, 
the alarmed regicides sought refuge among friends in New 
Haven. They found this shelter none too soon ; for a royal 
mandate reached Massachusetts, requiring the arrest of the 
fugitives. Tidings came by the same ship of the execution 
of ten of the regicides, and the authorities of the colonies 
could not fail to see that it would bring their loyalty in 
question if they did not give earnest attention to the king's 
command. Two zealous young officers were authorized to 
search for Whalley and Goffe as far as Manhattan. The 
l)romise of promotion gave zest to their errand. When they 
i-eached Hartford, Governor Winthrop very readily gave them 
a warrant to search within the jurisdiction of Connecticut, 
but assured them that it would be a vain quest. Hastening 
on to Guilford, the home of acting Governor Leete of the 
New-Haven colony, they asked for his official assistance. 

With great deliberation of action, the governor declined 
to issue any warrant until he had consulted with the other 
magistrates. This delay compelled them to remain at Guil- 
ford over the sabbath ; and in the interval, it is supposed 
that a message was carried to New Haven, warning the 
judges of their danger. While the ro3al pursuers were 
chafing at their enforced staj' at Guilford. Davenport, the 
warm friend of the regicides, was preaching to his people at 
New Haven, from the text, "'Take counsel, execute judg- 
ment ; make thy shadow as the night in the midst of the 
noonday ; hide the outcasts ; bewray not him that wandereth. 
Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab ; be thou a covert to 
them from the face of the spoiler." The congregation under- 
stood the sermon without any need of personal application. 



70 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [I66I. 

Early Monday morniug the officers rode into New Haven ; 
but his excellency, Governor Leete, was still very deliberate 
in his movements, and did not arrive in town until a later 
hour. He assured the young gentlemen, that, to the best of 
his belief, the persons they were so anxious to find were not 
in the colon}^ Still pressing their demand for a warrant, 
they asked the privilege of searching one or two houses 
where they had reason to think the regicides were hid ; but 
the governor said he could do nothing until he had called a 
meeting of the freemen. 

By this time the officers were thoroughly angry, and inti- 
mated that the worthy governor would get himself and the 
colony into trouble by his dilator}' action. These remarks 
made such a deep impression, that the governor convened 
the magistrates, and continued their deliberations for five or 
six hours. They decided that it would be necessary to call 
a General Court. The indignant officers were more out- 
spoken in their wrath than ever, and accused the authorities 
of treason in attempting to hinder their service. To the 
question '' whether he would obey the king, or no, in this 
affair," Leete replied, '• AVe honor his majest}^ but we have 
tender consciences." 

Finding themselves in a community not easily overawed, 
even by fine young gentlemen bearing a royal commission, 
the two disgusted oflEicers journeyed as far as Manhattan, 
where they were politel}' received by Governor Stuyvesant, 
who promised them aid in arresting the fugitives, if they 
could be found in the Dutch territory. From Manhattan 
they soon took passage for Boston, without visiting again 
the authorities of New Haven and Connecticut. 

It is supposed that the regicides, when word came to 
them of the arrival of the pursuing officers at Guilford, were 
secreted at the home of William Jones, whose wife was a 
daughter of Governor Eaton. That night (May 11) they 
left New Haven, and found refuge in a mill in the woods, 



1661.] THE STORV OF THE REGICIDES. 71 

two miles north of the town. Early Monday morning they 
were conducted by Mr. Jones and two other friends, three 
miles or more into the wilderness. Having found a hatchet 
on the spot that they had selected to build a rude shelter of 
branches, they called the place Hatchet Harbor. They spent 
two nights here ; and then, having learned that the pursuers 
were on the way to ^Manhattan, they were guided to West 
Rock, or Providence Hill as they named it, by Richard 
Sperry, who had been one of the little party who had left 
them at Hatchet Harbor. 

Here they found a slight shelter, afforded by several large 
fragments of trap-rock, that has ever since been known as 
the '-Judges' Cave." The magnificent outlook from this 
spot takes m the surrounding country for many miles, with 
a wide sweep of the Sound. It was easy of access, and at 
the same time very secluded. AVhalley and Goffe remained 
in this neighborhood from May 15 to June 11. They were 
furnished with food by Mr. Sperry, whose house w'as at 
the foot of the hill, about a mile away. The probabilities 
are, that they w*ent down in the evening, and slept at Mr. 
Sperry's, returning early in the morning. 

Two days after the regicides had removed to West Rock, 
at a meeting of the General Court, Deput3'-Governor Leete 
called attention to a copy of a letter from his Majesty, with 
another letter from the governor of the Massachusetts col- 
ony, '' for the apprehending of Colonel Whalle}^ and Colonel 
Goffe." The Court declared, that, to the best of their knowl- 
edge, these persons were not within the colony : they, how- 
ever, ordered diligent search to be made, but without avail. ^ 

Learning that Mr. Davenport was suspected of concealing 
them, the regicides left their hiding-place on the 11th of 
June, and appeared on the streets of New Haven. It is not 
known where they spent the next few days ; but on Saturday, 
June 22, they were in New Haven, and had word sent to 
Mr. Gilbert, now deputy-governor, that they were ready to 



72 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l664. 

surrender, if it was necessary, rather than place any of their 
friends in danger on their account. There were those who 
advised them not to surrender ; and on Monday, while the 
magistrates were preparing to arrest them, they quietly 
sought their old place of refuge at West Rock. They re- 
mained here until the 19th of August, " when, the search 
for them being pretty well over, they ventured to the house 
of one Tomkins, near Milford, where they remained two 
years, without so much as going into the orchard. After 
that they took a little more liberty, and made themselves 
known to several persons in whom they could confide ; and 
each of them frequently pra3'ed, and also exercised, as they 
term it, or preached, at private meetings in their chamber." ^ 

Learning, in 1664, that new commissioners from England 
had landed at Boston, charged, among other duties, with 
their arrest, the unfortunate regicides decided to seek a 
more secluded hiding-place. They retired at first to their 
cave on West Rock ; but the discovery of their retreat by a 
party of Indians, compelled them in a few days to go else- 
where. From this unknown spot they journeyed by night 
to the frontier town of Hadley, Mass., where they were 
concealed in the home of the Rev. John Russell. Here 
they continued to reside until the death of Whalley, some 
ten years afterwards. The later years of Goffe are shrouded 
in mystery ; but the probabilities are, that he died in Hadley, 
and was buried by the side of Whalley, in the cellar of the 
house that for so long a time kept the secret of their hiding. 

An interesting tradition of the regicides is a part of the 
history of Hadle3^ During the dark days of ''King Philip's 
War," the people had gathered in their meeting-house to 
observe a fast. While the service was in progress, the 
alarm was given of the approach of a large body of Indians. 
It was the custom for a part of the congregation to attend 
public worship under arms, and those who were on duty at 
this time bravely attempted to repel the sudden attack of 



1665.] THE STORY OF THE REGICIDES. 73 

the savages. The battle from the first was very unequal 
in numbers ; and the Indians were gaining the advantage, 
when a man, venerable in years, and singular in his dress 
and appearance, came upon the scene, aud directed the move- 
ments of the villagers with such skill, that the enemy were 
soon put to flight. The stranger at once disappeared, and 
the people very generally believed that an angel had been 
sent of God for their deliverance. Years afterwards it was 
known that the supposed heavenly messenger was Goffe the 
regicide. 

Another of the judges of King Charles, at a later date, 
lived and died at New Haven. It is not known where 
Colonel John Dix^-ell spent the early 3'ears of his enforced 
captivity. He visited GoflTe and Whalley at Hadley in 1665, 
and some time after this took up his residence in New 
Haven, under the assumed name of James Davids. He 
found a devoted friend in the Rev. James Pierpout, the 
second successor of Mr. Davenport in the ministry there. 
Their home-lots adjoined in the rear, and they were in the 
habit of meeting frequently for prolonged conversation at 
the fence that separated their yards. The minister's wife 
wondered that her husband should enjoy the company of 
this aged man so much ; but the answer to her question as 
to his friend and neighbor was simply, " He is a very know- 
ing and learned man." 

During a visit of Sir Edmund Andros to New England, 
he spent a Sunday in New Haven. ^ While in attendance 
upon public worship, his attention was arrested by the face 
and bearing of a venerable man sitting in one of the pews. 
At the close of the service he inquired of some one who the 
gentleman was. ''He is a merchant living in town," was 
the reply. Sir Edmund, with his suspicions aroused, said, 
shaking his head, " I know he is not a merchant." 

Mr. Davids did not attend the afternoon service ! 

At the death of Colonel Dixwell, his real name and char- 



74 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



acter were made known ; but he requested that no monument 
should be erected at his grave giving his name and person, 
"lest his enemies might dishonor his ashes." In accordance 
with his wish, a plain stone marked his burial-place, in- 
scribed simply with the initials "J. D., Esq.," and giving 
his ase and the date of his death. 



1 A SEARCH-WARRANT was placed in 
the hands of persons in different towns. 
The writer of this note may be pardoned 
for taking interest in the fact that his 
ancestor, Thomas Sanford, one of the 
original planters of Milfurd, was ap- 
pointed by Governor Treat to aid in 
this search within the limits of that 
town. 

2 This story, as a tradition, is re- 
lated by Hollister: "During their stay 
at Milford, there was brought over from 
England a ballad, written by some hair- 
brained, cavalier rhymer, placing the 
regicides in such a ludicrous light that 
a loyalist might be excused for laughing, 
or a Puritan for biting his lip, at the 
recital of it. This ballad, a girl who was 
an inmate of Mr. Tomkins's family, or 
who was in the habit of visiting the 
house, had committed to memory, and 
had learned to sing it, which she hap- 
pened to do in the chamber above the 
room occupied by the judges. They 
were so delighted with the song, that 
they used to beg their host to liave it re- 
peated by the young ladles of the family • 



who little knew what an interested audi- 
tory had been provided for them." 

3 Sir Edjujnb was never a welcome 
visitor at New Haven or Hartford . There 
is a tradition, that, on this very Sunday, 
the deacon gave out the fifty-second 
psalm to be sung, as found in Stern- 
hold and Hopkins's version, which runs 
thus : — 

" Why dost thou, tyrant, boast abroad, 
Thy wicked works to praise ? 
Dost thou not know there is a God, 
Wliose mercies last always? 

Why dost thy mind yet still devise 
Such wicked wiles to warp ? 

Thy tongue untrue, in forging lies. 
Is like a razor sliarp. 

Thou dost delight in fraud and guile, 
In mischief, blood, and wrong; 

Thy lips have learned the flatteringstyle 
O false, deceitful tongue ! " 

Andros called the deacon to an ac- 
count; but he gave as an excuse, that 
it was the usage of tlie church to sing 
the psalms in course, and the matter was 
dropped. 



1662.] NEW-HAVEN AND CONNECTICUT COLONIEiS. 75 



CHAPTER XIII. 
1662-1664. 

THE UNION OF THE NEW- HAVEN COLONY WITH 
CONNECTICUT. 

WE come now to the history of the union of the New- 
Haven colony with that of Connecticut. Both of these 
colonies, in their original settlement, occupied lands included 
in the great patent given by King James I. to the famous 
Plymouth Company. 

In 1630 they conveyed their title to Robert Earl of War- 
wick ; and he conve^^ed it to Lord Say and Seal, with other 
distinguished men associated with him. This was the patent 
under which the Saybrook colony claimed a right to the sur- 
rounding country, that, while unrecognized by the people of 
Connecticut, no doubt made them more anxious to bring 
about the purchase from Colonel Fenwick, which has already 
been noticed. 

The colonists were deeply interested in the stormy revo- 
lution in the mother countr}^ of which Cromwell was the 
controlling spirit. They knew that the great Puritan leader 
cherished very kind feelings towards them, and at one time 
it seemed possible that he might make his home in the New- 
England wilderness. With the restoration of Charles the 
Second, the colonists were reminded that a king was again 
upon the English throne ; and, having hastened to recognize 
the roj^al authority, some of the principal citizens of Con- 
necticut thought that the time was ripe and opportune for 



76 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



[1662. 



seeking a charter that should define their rights and relation 
to the crown of England. This important business was in- 
trusted to the care of Governor Winthrop, as the agent of 
the colony.^ He at once set sail, and arrived in England in 
the summer of 1661. He met with a cordial welcome from 
old friends, and his polished manners and scholarly acquire- 
ments soon gained him an entrance to the highest and most, 
influential circles of societ}'. Connecticut was indeed fortu- 
nate in her representative, and in the time chosen to make 
her request. 

Although suffering from the disabilities of age and illness, 
Lord Say and Seal showed a fatherly solicitude in advancing 

the interests of the commonwealth 
beyond the sea, with which his 
name had been connected in its 
earliest history. Personally, and 
through friends, he opened the 
way for Winthrop to meet the 
king in private consultation. A 
little incident, trivial in itself, is 
related in this connection. The 
grandfather of AYinthrop received 
a ring from the hand of Charles- 
the First, in token of his esteem. This heirloom the 
grandson carried with him, and, at his first interview with 
the king, begged the privilege of returning it to him as a 
memorial of his father. The incident, at least, illustrates- 
the delicate tact of the worthy representative of Connecticut, 
who understood that the way to secure the good will and 
attention of Charles the Second was through his feelings, and. 
not his intellect. 

On the 23d of April, 1662, the royal signature was ai)- 
pended to the charter, of which the historian Bancroft says,. 
''In regard to powers of government, it was extraordinary. 
It conferred on the colonists unqualified power lo govern 




JOHN WINTHROP. 



1662.] IN ION OF NEW HAVEN AND CONNECTICUT. 77 

themselves. They were allowed to elect all their own 
officers, to enact their own laws, to administer justice with- 
out appeals to England, to inflict punishments, to confer par- 
dons, and, in a word, to exercise every power, deliberative 
and active. The king, far from reserving a negative on the 
acts of the colony, did not even require that the laws should 
be transmitted for his inspection ; and no provision was 
made for the interference of the English Government in any 
event whatever. Connecticut was independent except in 
name," - 

The bounds of the territory, confirmed by the charter, were 
the same as in the patent of 1G31, and included the whole of 
^ew Haven and a part of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and 
New Netherlands. As soon as the character of the charter 
was known, a few towns, connected with the New-Haven 
•colony, expressed their desire to come under the jurisdiction 
of Connecticut. The most prominent citizens, however, of 
New Haven and adjacent townships, were sorely disturbed 
at what seemed to them an unjust attempt to destroy their 
commonwealth by a summary process of absorption. While 
manifest destiny favored the union, we can but admire the 
courage, dignity, and ability with which the position and 
rights of New Haven were asserted.^ 

The arrival at Boston of three ships of the royal navy 
bearing commissioners, and the conquest not long after of 
the Dutch, brought the vexatious discussion to an end. 
Town after town had renounced allegiance to New Haven, 
and joined Connecticut, until only three remained with her. 
They still remained firm in their determination to resist what 
they deemed the encroachment of their sister colony ; but 
when they saw that they must either go with her, or be ab- 
sorbed by New York, they decided that it was preferable 
to unite with Connecticut, than to remain under the direct 
rule of a royalist whom they thoroughly detested. 

The result that proved so happy in its after-blessings, was 



78 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l664. 

at the time a grievous affliction to many, and especially to 
the gifted Davenport, who in his old age mourned what 
seemed to him the ruin of his life-work and hopes. On the 
other side of the sea he had thought out the principles of 
the constitution of the colony, which he had helped to found 
in the wilderness, with those of like sentiments with himself. 
"With untiring solicitude and marked ability, he had done his- 
part as a leader in civil and religious affairs. It is easy to 
understand his feeling at the unexpected turn of fortune that 
brought New Haven and Connecticut together, and blotted 
out the distinctive life of the colony. Against the earnest 
wish of his church and congregation, he accepted an invita- 
tion to remove to Boston, where he died two years after- 
wards. There is no name in the early history of New 
Haven that can ever occupy a more distinguished place 
than that of John Davenport. 

During the year 1664, in which the union was effected, 
the Dutch surrendered their possessions in New Netherlands 
to the English, and Connecticut gave up her claim to Long-^ 
Island and Delaware in favor of the representatives of the 
Duke of York. 



1 Bancroft gives this beautiful trib- became impoverished, the sou, unso- 
ute to the character of Winthrop ; " As iicited and without recompense, relin- 
a child he had been the pride of his quished his inheritance, that ' it might be 
father's house; he had received the best spent in furthering the great worli ' in 
instruction which Cambridge and Dublin Massachusetts; himself, without wealth, 
could afford, and had perfected his edu- engaging in the enterprise of planting 
cation by visiting, in part at least, in the Connecticut. Care for posterity seemed 
public service, not Holland and France the motive to his actions. Understand- 
only, in the days of Prince Maurice and ing the springe of action, and the prin 
Richelieu, but Venice and Constantino ciples that control affairs, he never 
pie. As he travelled through Europe, attempted impracticable things, and 
he sought the society of men eminent noiselessly succeeded in all that he 
for learning. Returning to England in undertook. The New World was full 
the bloom of life, with the fairest prom- of his praises. Puritans and Quakers 
ise of advancement, he preferred to and the freemen of Rhode Island were 
follow his father to the New World, alike his eulogists. The Dutch at New 
regarding 'diversities of countries but York had confidence in his integrity, 
as so many inns,' alike conducting to and it is the beautiful testimony of his 
'the journey's end.' When his father own father, that ' God gave him favor iii 



1664.1 UNION OF NEW HAVEN AND CONNECTICUT. 79 



the eyes of all with whom he had to 
do.' " 

-"The Charter procured from 
Charles II. was not regarded as a grant 
of new powers, but as a formal recogni- 
tion of the rights and privileges they had 
I'xercised from the first. The first draught 
of the charter itself, so far as it affected 
the liberties of the colony, was, in fact, 
prepared by the General Court in Hart- 
ford" (J. Hammond Trumbull). 

3 WiNTHROP showed great skill in 
his negotiations, but many things were 
in his favor. New Haven was disliked 
by the power near the throne on account 
of her Puritanism ; and her dilatory action 
in recognizing the authority of Charles 
II. was remembered against her, as well 
as the fact that the regicides had found 
shelter within her borders. A deeper 
diplomatic reason for favoring Connecti- 
cut is found in that it may have beeu 



hoped that the union of the colonies 
would raise up a rival to Massachusetts, 
and result in breaking up the Confeder- 
acy. The opposition of New Haven to 
the Union was a source of regret and 
trouble to Winthrop. He had given as- 
surances that New Haven should have 
the liberty of choice; and he was not 
altogether pleased that his Connecticut 
friends, in their joy at securing the char- 
ter, should seek, by coercive methods, to 
compel their sister colony to unite with 
them. It is to be remembered, that while 
Davenport was so strongly opposed to 
the matter, and the pastor of the church 
in Branford induced almost his entire 
congregation to remove to Newark, N.J., 
rather than submit to Connecticut, there 
were many like Governor Leete, w^ho 
thought it was perhaps for the best, and 
still others who were earnestly in favor 
of the Union. 



80 HISTOKY OF CONNECTICUT. [1674-75. 



chaptp:r XIV. 

1664-1675. 
EDMUND ANDROS, GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK. 

AFTER the Duke of York had taken possession of New 
Netherlands under the authority of the English crown, 
royal commissioners were appointed to look after its affairs. 
These' gentlemen were also directed to visit New England, 
and make certain demands of the colonies that would re- 
mind the people that they were still the subjects of the king. 
These demands, being in accord with the spirit of the con- 
stitution of Connecticut, were at once obeyed. During the 
next eight years the most exciting topics of public interest 
pertained to questions of religious doctrine and administra- 
tion,^ and a fiery conflict of discussion with Rhode Island 
regarding boundary-lines.- 

The recouquest of New York by the Dutch threatened to 
involve Connecticut in serious trouble ; but the stir of military 
preparations had scarcely begun when tidings came of the 
treaty of Westminster, b}^ which Holland ceded New Nether- 
lands to England. The Dutch ships sailed out^ of New- 
York Bay ; and the English frigates soon after sailed in. 
bringing the new governor of the province. Sir Edmund 
Andros. Within a short time, Andros sent word to the 
authorities at Hartford, that, in accordance with the patent 
recently given to the Duke of York, he considered all of the 
country l3Hng west of the Connecticut River under his juris- 
diction. 



1675.] ANDROS AT SAYBROOK. 81 

Ten years had scarcely passed since the boundaries of 
Connecticut had been carefully defined, by royal commis- 
sioners, as including New Haven and the towns west of it, 
and the demand of Andros was received with scornful aston- 
ishment. The governor and his council stood firm in their 
determination to resist this assault upon the rights of the 
colony. News having come to Connecticut of threatened 
danger from some Indians living beyond the eastern bounds 
of the colony, a messenger was sent to Andros. He at once 
made reph^ that he would make " the best of his way to 
Connecticut River, his Royal Highness's bounds there." 
The authorities at Hartford surmised that he was seizing 
this opportunit}' as a pretext to set foot on Connecticut soil, 
and assert the claim of the Duke of York to the territory 
west of the river. 

Captain Thomas Bull was at once sent, with one hundred 
men, to occup}" the fort at Saybrook, with instructions to treat 
Major Andros with great personal courtesy, but to resist any 
attempt that he might make to gain possession of the fort. 
''You are, in his Majesty's name," wrote the governor, 
" required to avoid striking the first blow ; but if they begin, 
you are to defend yourselves, and do your best to secure 
his Majesty's interest and the peace of the whole Colony." ^ 

As soon as favoring winds could carry him, Andros with 
two small vessels arrived off Saybrook, and anchored at the 
mouth of the river. He saw that his coming had been antici- 
pated, and that the colony proposed to resist his demands. 
At his request he was permitted to come on shore, where he 
was met by Captain Bull and his officers. After an ex- 
change of military courtesies, in the face of a direct protest, 
Andros commanded his secretary to read the papers that 
gave him pretended authority over all of the colony west of 
the river. 

Captain Bull sternly commanded the clerk to stop. He 
still persisted. " Forbear," roared the doughty captain. 



82 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l675. 

" What is 3'our name? " sarcastically inquired Andros. 

"My name is Bull, sir," was the dignified but somewhat 
irate reply. 

" Bull," responded the governor. '' It is a pity that your 
horns are not tipped with silver." ^ 

As soon as the reading of the obnoxious paper began, 
the Connecticut officers moved aside, and would not listen. 
Andros, disturbed at this action, said he would set sail at 
once if they did not wish him to stay. They told him that 
they " had no order to desire him to stay, but must now 
read something else;" and forthwith the protest that had 
been prepared was read in his hearing. His anger by this 
time found vent in the retort, that this paper was a slander, 
and that the Connecticut authorities had done him a great 
wrong when his only purpose was to aid them. The officers 
declined to give him a copy of the protest, which he desired, 
but they parted with outward courtesy. A guard of honor 
marched with him to the water, and, as his vessels passed 
the fort, salutes were fired on both sides. 

Soon after the visit of Andros at Saybrook, Connecticut 
was deeply agitated by the tidings that reached them of the 
opening tragedies of " King Philip's War." Philip was the 
son of Massasoit, the true friend of the early Massachusetts 
settlers. Unlike his father, his heart was filled with a spirit 
of murderous hate towards the whites. He was angry be- 
cause of warnings and reprimands that he had received from 
the English, who more than suspected that he was plotting 
mischief. A savage thirst for blood and revenge seems to 
have been the motive that urged him to action. The coming 
of the colonists had been a help in man}' ways to the Indians. 
They had neither been crowded from their hunting-grounds, 
nor treated unjustly. The facts do not warrant the theory 
that Philip sought to wage a war of extermination against the 
whites because of their encroachments. He hated the Eng- 
lish, and certain fancied wrongs nursed the spirit of revenge 



1675.] ' KING Philip's war. 83 

that made him eager to do all in his power to injure them, 
lie visited the scattered tribes in various parts of New 
Kngland, and easily infused his spirit in the breast of those 
who, like himself, had a brutal lust for blood. There is no 
doubt but they cherished the hope, by united action, of 
bringing dismay and desolation to the hearts and homes of 
the settlers. 

Having laid their plans with great secrecy, the war broke 
out with such concerted fury that within a few days the 
settlements along a line of two hundred miles suffered terri- 
bl}' ; the heaviest blows falling upon the scattered towns in 
Western Massachusetts. After a brief delay caused by the 
controversy with Andros, Connecticut responded, with her 
usual alacrity, to the call for assistance.^ Major Robert 
Treat was placed in command of the troops who did garri- 
son duty above Springfield until called to march against the 
Narragansetts. In the attack upon the stronghold of the 
Narragansetts, hidden in an almost impenetrable swamp, 
the soldiers of Connecticut acted a foremost part. They 
pressed their way into the fort at points of extreme danger, 
where the fire was deadliest, and fought with stubborn valor 
until their victory was complete. Out of three hundred men, 
forty were killed, and as many were wounded. The extreme 
cold added greatl}^ to the suffering."^ The power of Phihp 
was broken ; and in the following summer he was tracked to 
his lair at Mount Hope, and killed by troops under the com- 
mand of Major Church. During these months, many settle- 
ments suffered from the raids ^ of the Indians ; and, even 
after the death of Philip, they attacked a few places. 

Governor Winthrop was chosen one of the commissioners 
to represent Connecticut in the Congress of the United Colo- 
nies in May, 1676. He went to Boston upon this errand in 
the early spring, and was there taken sick, and died after a 
brief illness. 

The name of John Winthrop is inseparably woven into 



84 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l676. 

some of the most interesting chapters in the early history 
of Connecticut. His influence, at a critical period, was 
great ; and with rare tact and wisdom he labored to advance 
the interests and welfare of the Commonwealth that he lived 
to see strong and prosperous. Time has added lustre to his 
fair fame, and the progress of events proved the ability with 
which he conducted difficult negotiations. It has been the 
fashion, in some quarters, to disparage the character and 
service of the younger Winthrop in comparing him with his 
distinguished father, the governor of Massachusetts. With- 
out detracting in the least from the reputation of that able 
and good man, we contend, that, measured by every standard 
of true greatness, the son does not stand in the shadow of 
his honored sire. His generous and affable spirit enabled 
him to win the friendship and good will of others, but this 
kindly feeling never moved him from the path of rectitude. 
With the courteous manners of a cavalier, he combined a 
Puritan love and loyalty to truth and righteousness, that 
made him both a wise and successful leader. 



' These questions grew out of the the privilege of baptism for their house- 

agiiatiou of matters of discipline respect- holds, and of access to the Lord's table." 

iiig church membership and baptism. This was afterwards known as the //«//'- 

In the early history of the colonial way Coveiiant Plan. Davenport was 

churches, all of whom were Congrega- earnestly opposed to this innovation, 

tional in polity, only those who had made and its advocacy by certain prominent 

public profession of a personal spiritual parties in Connecticut added to his 

experience were admitted to the privilege sorrow over the absorption of New 

of baptism for themselves and their chil- Haven into that colony, 

dren. At this period, there was a grow- 2 These discussions in regard to 

ing party in Connecticut, especially at boundary-lines have little general inter- 

Ilartford, who favored the custom and est now ; but, when under debate, they 

rights granted by the state churches of caused great excitement and much haro 

England and Scotland. This system feeling. Connecticut claimed, that, by 

provided that all persons of good mora! the Warwick patent and the charter of 

character in a parish, who made"acer- Charles 11., the eastern bounds of the 

Uin public profession of Christian faith State commenced at Narragansett Bay. 

and Christian obedience, including a Rhode Island said very truthfully, that 

formal covenant with God and with the this left her a pitiful bit of territory. 

Church, which at the same time was to The Connecticut fathers did not consider 

l)e understood as implying no profession this argument very strong, and were 

of any Christian experience, might have alert in asserting their rights and driving 



THE XARRAGANSETT FORT. 



85 



out intruders. In 1671 a controversy 
between Massachusetts and Connecticut, 
regarding the northern boundary-line, 
was settled by the former colony, con- 
senting to an addition of some miles of 
territory to Connecticut. Even down to 
the present day, the boundary-lines of the 
State remained undecided. Those inter- 
ested in these matters will find them 
fully and carefully stated in a beautiful 
monograph prepared by Mr. Clarence 
W. Bowen, entitled " The Boundary 
Disputes of Connecticut." 

3 The citizens of New York, catching 
the temper of their hot-headed governor, 
at first declared that they would not 
" surrender, but keep up by fighting so 
long as they could stand on one leg, and 
fi.ght with one hand." 

* The General Court came together 
the following day (July 9), and approved 
the action of Governor Winthrop and 
the Council. They unanimously passed 
a resolution protesting against " Major 
Andros's challenge and attempts to sur- 
prise the main fort of the colony ; '* 
and they expressed themselves as ready 
I to " use their utmost power and en- 
I deavor (expecting therein the assistance 
i of Almighty God) to defend the good 
I people of the Colony from the said Major 
' Andros's attempts " (Conu. liec, ii. 262) . 
^ This episode is related by Dr. 
Trumbull (Hist. Conn. i. 330). Such 
conversations are matters of tradition; 
but the colonial records tell us that Major 
Bull was instructed not to allow Andros's 
men to land except for refreshment, and 
that they were to come unarmed, and 
make but a short tarry. lie was to 
" keep the king's colors standing, under 
hie Majesty's lieutenant, the governor 
of Connecticut; and if any other colors 
were set up, he was not to suffer them to 
stand." The Connecticut authorities 
were not altogether pleased that a more 
vigorous protest had not been made. 
They could have wished that •' he 
[Andros] had been interrupted in doing 
the least thing, under pretence of his hav 
ing any thing to do to use his Majesty's 



name in commanding there so usurp- 
ingly, which might have been done by 
shouts, or sound of drum, etc., without 
violence " (Conn. Rec, ii. 584). 

6 "The Council did further comniis- 
sionate Major Treat to take the conduct 
of our army, and to take special care of 
the Reverend Mr. Bulkly and Mr. Noyes : 
and they also commanded all the cap- 
tains and lieutenants of the army to l)c- 
tender and careful of Major Treat, that 
he be not exposed to too much hazard, 
and that they allot him a sufticient guard 
to attend his person at all times ; with 
an advice that they avoid whatever may 
be provoking to God, and that they be- 
have themselves valiantly and courage- 
ously " (Conn. Rec, ii. 388). 

7 The site of this fort is in the town 
of South Kingston, R.I., about eighteen 
miles north-east of Stonington. During 
the fight, captains Gallup of New Lon- 
don, and Marshall of Windsor, were 
killed outright. Captain Seeley of Strat 
ford received wounds that proved mor- 
tal; and the same fate overtook Captain 
John Mason of Norwich, son of the 
leader against the Pequots. Samuel 
Hall of Fairfield petitioned the General 
Court for compensation for clothes lost 
in the " swamp fight." " When Captain 
Mason was shot down," he wrote, " I 
was just before him when he fell down,, 
and shook him by the hand, I being shot 
down in that very place, so- that he fell 
very near me. But Captain Mason got 
up again and went forth, and I lay bleed- 
ing there in the snow; and hearing the 
word commanded to set fire on the wig- 
wams, I considered I should be burned 
if 1 did not crawl away. It pleased God 
to give me strength to get up and get 
out, with my cutlass in my hand, not- 
withstanding I had received at that time 
four bullets, two in each thigh, as was 
manifest afterwards" (Conn. Rec, iii. 
5). 

"The Connecticut troops, 'much dis- 
abled with tedious storms, and no lodg- 
ings, and frozen and swollen limbs," 
were withdrawn by their coniraandei 



86 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 

to Stouingtou " (Palfrey, Hist. N. E., field, where they surprised aud routed 

iii. 181), parties of Indians. Other conapauies, 

8 John Talcott of Hartford was from Windsor, Stonington, Norwich, 

placed in command of a force of three and New London, went to the relief of 

hundred and fifty men, that marched the Massachusetts settlements earlier iu 

early in Jnne, 1676, to Hadley and Brook- the year. 



1680.J AT THE CLOSE OF KING PHILIP's WAR. 87 



CHAPTER XV. 

1680-1686. 

REPORT TO THE ENGLISH BOARD OF TRADE. 

WHILE Connecticut, during "King Philip's War," hap- 
pily escaped the horrors of savage attack and bloodshed 
within her borders, there was sorrow in many homes from 
which brave fathers and sons had gone, never to return alive. 
The necessary equipment of her militia, and the cost of 
building and repairing forts and palisades about the settle- 
ments, with other expenses, left the colony burdened with 
a heav}' debt. Such burdens, that had fallen with a crushing 
weight upon Massachusetts and Plymouth, did not, however, 
retard the progress and prosperity of Connecticut. There is 
on record a report made, four years after Philip's war, by 
the Governor and Secretary to the Lords of the Committee 
for Trade and Plantations. The militia is stated to consist 
of 2,507 foot-soldiers, besides " one troop of sixty horse." 
Mention is made of a "small fort at the mouth of the 
Connecticut River." " As for our Indian neighbors," they 
go on to say, " we compute them to be about five hundred 
fighting men. We are strangers to the French, and know 
nothinoj of their stren2;th or commerce. Our chief trade for 
procuring clothing is by sending what provisions we raise to 
Boston, where we buy goods. The trade with our Indians 
is worth nothing, because their frequent wars hinder their 
getting peltry. . . . Our buildings are generally of wood ; 
some are of stone or brick : and some of them are of good 



88 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [I68O. 

strength and comely, for a wilderness. . . . The commodi- 
ties of tlie countr}^ are provisions, lumber, and horses. . . . 
We have no need of Virginia trade, as most people plant so 
much tobacco as they need. We have good materials for 
ship-building." 

The value '-of our annual imports probably amounts to 
£9,000. We raise no saltpetre. Our wheat hath been much 
blasted, and our pease spoiled with worms, for sundry years 
past. We have about twenty petty merchants ; some trade 
to Boston, some to the Indies, and other colonies; but few 
foreign merchants trade here. . . . There are but few ser- 
vants, and fewer slaves ; not above thirty in the colony. 
There are so few English, Scotch, or Irish come in, that we 
can give no account of them. . . . The people are strict 
Congregationalists : a few, more large Congregationalists ; 
and some, moderate Presbyterians. There are about four 
or five Seven-day men, and about as many Quakers. . . . 
We have twenty-six towns, and there are twenty-one churches 
in them ; and in every one there is a settled minister, except 
in two newly planted. The stipend, which is more or less 
according to duty, is from £50 to £100. Every town main- 
tains its own poor. But there is seldom any want, because 
labor is dear, being from two shillings to two shillings and 
sixpence a day for a laborer ; and because provisions are 
cheap. . . . Beggars and vagabonds are not suffered, but, 
v\'hen discovered, they are bound out to service : vagabonds 
who pass up and down are punished by law." 

For several years the chronic dispute between Rhode Island 
and Connecticut, regarding the boundary-line, caused much 
ill-feeling. Connecticut, at one time, made serious prepa- 
rations to drive out the intruding Rhode-Islanders at the 
point of the bayonet. This vigorous menace was not with- 
out effect ; and two years afterwards, the colonial commis- 
sioners appointed by the king, after a careful hearing of 
the case, set aside the claim of Rhode Island.^ 



1685.] ACCESSION OF KING JAMES. 89 

But the boundary trouble was by no means at an end. 
Edward Randolph, agent of the English Lords of Trade, an 
ambitious and mercenary man, who for some time had 
sought to gain the royal favor by pouring into the ears of 
the king and his counselloi-s false reports regarding the 
Massachusetts colonies, appeared before the commissioners, 
and urged an old claim of the Duke of Hamilton against 
Connecticut for lands. ^ Randolph had heretofore professed 
special friendship and good will towards the colon}', because 
of its loyalty ; but the opportunity of serving a duke, and 
making a little money, was too great a temptation to resist ; 
and it is possible that the reception Andros had received at 
Saybrook led him to doubt the quality of the loyalty that 
had found such fine expression in words. 

Although the case was finally decided in favor of Connec- 
ticut, it remained open for many years, and caused much 
annoyance. 

With the death of Charles II., and the accession of James 
II. to the English throne, the New-England colonies con- 
tinued a struggle for their civil rights and liberties that cul- 
minated, nearly a century afterwards, in the war of the 
Revolution and the independence of the United States. The 
part which Connecticut acted in that struggle is one of which 
her children may well be proud. Before the death of Charles, 
designing men had influenced the easj'-going and pleasure- 
loving monarch to sanction acts that had seriously encroached 
upon the rights of the colonies. With reckless thoughtless- 
ness, if nothing worse, he had placed his signature to patents 
of lands that had long before been given to others. In truth, 
he seems to have had but a slight conception of the geography 
of the New World, and very likely signed papers that broke 
faith with former agreements without realizing the wrong he 
was doing. He was a man easily influenced by his favorites, 
and he was ready to gratify their wishes with slight regard to 
the effect it might have upon the rights of others. 



90 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l685. 

James II. was in almost every respect the opposite of his 
l>rother. Fond of authority, narrow and bigoted in his 
opinions, he looked with ill-concealed hatred upon those who 
sought liberty of thought and conscience for themselves and 
others. The New England that was springing up in the 
wilderness beyond the sea, appeared to him a refuge of 
Puritanism, where the seeds of hostility to royal authorit}" 
that had begun to take root should be ruthlessly destroyed. 
Emissaries like Randolph, by outrageous misrepresentations, 
had succeeded in arousing the prejudices and ill will of 
Charles II. to such an extent that the charters of some of the 
colonies had already been taken away. Connecticut was 
very wise and shrewd in her political action, and professions 
of lo3'alty ; and during the lifetime of Winthrop she was 
favored with a friend at court, who always held a high place 
in the esteem and good feeling of the king. 

It is difficult to believe that Charles realized the injustice 
he was doing when he gave the patent to his brother, that, in 
direct violation of other titles, included a large portion of 
Connecticut. Be this as it may, his brother, while Duke of 
York, showed the same spirit and purpose that actuated him 
when he came to the throne. 

As soon as the tidings reached New England that the 
duke had been proclaimed king under the title of James II., 
Connecticut hastened to send him a lo3'al address, expressing 
sentiments of condolence and congratulation, and humbly 
asking for a continuance of past favors. This letter reached 
England about the same time as did Edward Randolph, the 
malignant slanderer of the colonies. Heretofore he had 
brought his accusations, for the most part, against Massa- 
chusetts, but he now thought it was a favorable time to 
attack Connecticut. In an elaborate paper he charged the 
colony with the crime of independent government, disloyalty 
to the laws of the mother country, and hostility to the Estab- 
lished Church of England. 



1686.] THE WIllT OF QUO WARRANTO. 91 

RaDclolpli was not a mischief-maker without a purpose. 
He had not, 3'ear after year, crossed and recrossed the stormy 
Atlantic simply for the pleasure of retailing a stock of false 
stories regarding the colonies. Beneath his hatred of Puri- 
tan life and institutions, dwelt the ambition that hoped for 
personal advancement in the breaking up of the colonies, and 
uniting them under the rule of a governor-general. When 
James II. came to the throne, this plan had been almost ac- 
complished, and he was eager to complete it. 

The charges made by Randolph were immediately referred 
by the king to his attorney-general, with orders to issue a 
quo ivarrajito ^ against the governor and colony of Connecti- 
cut. In July of the following year (1686), a special session 
of the General Assembly was called, to consider what it was 
best to do. 

The ink was scarcely dry upon the letter in which they 
humbly asked the king's favor, when Randolph sent word 
from Boston that he was the bearer of the writ.^ Two weeks 
later he came to Hartford, and, in person, demanded the 
surrender of the charter of the colony. It was a dark hour, 
but the leading citizens of the Commonwealth were firm in 
their determination to take advantage of every means to 
delay action. More wise and politic than Massachusetts, 
they refrained from any aggressive assertion of their rights, 
and appointed Mr. Whiting as their agent to present their 
petition to the king. 

1 This was a very tangled dispute, Narragansett land as some slight com- 

because it was mixed up with other pensatiou for the expense they had 

claims by Massachusetts and the Ather- assumed. 

ton Company. Connectieut at this time ^ ^\t the time of the dissolution of 

urged its claim to the Narragansett the Council for New England (1635), the 

country, not only because it was in- members tried to divide the property 

eluded in the grant of the charter, but among themselves. A portion of the 

also for the reason, that, while they had territory of Connecticut was set off to 

given blood and treasure to save the the Marquis of Hamilton. This action 

country in Philip's war, Rhode Island was illegal, because the council long be- 

had held aloof, and done nothing. They fore had granted away its property. The 

felt that they had a right to hold the marquis lost his life in the civil war, but 



92 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



after the restoration, hie daughter, whose 
husband had been created Duke of 
Hamilton, asked the king to give her 
possession of her father's alleged estate 
in America. 

3 Quo Warranto. A writ requir- 
ing their appearance at a certain dale 
and place, to show by what authority 
they exercised certain powers and privi- 
leges. 

* " His Majesty intends," writes 
Randolph, " to bring all New England 
under one government; and nothing is 
now remaining on your part, but to 
think of an humble submission and a 
dutiful resignation of your charter, 
which if you are so hardy as to offer to 



defend at law, whilst you are contend- 
ing for a shadow, you will in the first 
place lose all that part of your colony 
from Connecticut to New York, and 
have it annexed to that government, a 
thing you are certainly informed of 
already; and nothing will prevent, but 
your obviating so general a calamity to 
all New England by an hearty and timely 
application to his Majesty with an hum- 
ble submission. . . . Sirs, bless not your- 
selves with vain expectation of advantage, 
and spinning out of time by delay. I 
will engage, though the weather be 
warm, the writs will keep sound and as 
good as when first landed " (Conn. Rec, 
iii. 352-353). 



1686.] ANDROS ARRIVES AT BOSTON. 93 



CHAPTER XVI. 
1686-1689. 
ADMINISTRATION OF ANDROS. 

AT the time Randolph made his demands, Massachusetts 
was governed by a council of which Joseph Dudley was 
president. This gentleman sent a letter to Governor Treat, 
advising the surrender of the charter, and proffering his ser- 
vices in behalf of the colony. The offer was declined, even 
at the risk of being annexed to New York. In the midst of 
these perplexities, Sir Edmund Andros arrived in Boston, 
bearing his commission as governor-general of New Eng- 
land. The slight hope the colonists still cherished of 
securing justice from the English courts was at an end. 

Sir Edmund sent word that he expected the immediate 
surrender of the charter. His letter expressed a very ear- 
nest desire to serve the interests of his friends in Connec- 
ticut ; but we can imagine his memory still recalled his 
interview, some years before, with Captain Bull at Say- 
brook. The General Court was at once convened ; and by 
its direction a letter was addressed to the English secretary 
of state, earnestly pleading for the preservation of the privi- 
leges that had been granted to them. For the first time 
they admitted the possibility that their petition might be 
denied, and in that case requested to be united to Massachu- 
setts. This was construed by Sir Edmund as a virtual sur- 
render ; but as the days went by, he saw that he had 
mistaken the spirit and purpose of the colony. 



94 HISTOKY OF CONNECTICUT. [l687r 

Andros finally decided to go iu person to Connecticut. 
He arrived at Hartford the last day of October, attended by 
a retinue of sixty officers and soldiers. The Assembly, 
then in session, received him with every outward mark of 
respect. After this formal exchange of courtesies. Sir 
Edmund publicly demanded the charter, and declared the 
colonial government dissolved. Tradition relates that Gov- 
ernor Treat, in calm but earnest words, remonstrated against 
this action. His feeling swept on in a tide of eloquence as 
he recalled the story of the early settlers, and the hardships 
they had endured to secure the liberties granted to them by 
the charter that was as dear to them as life. 

The debate was continued until the shadows of the early 
autumnal evening had fallen. After candles were lighted, 
the governor and his council seemed to yield ; and the box 
supposed to contain the charter was brought into the room, 
and placed upon the table. Suddenly the lights were extin- 
guished. Quiet reigned in the room, and in the dense crowd 
outside the building. The candles were soon relighted ; but 
the charter had disappeared, and after the most diligent 
search could not be found. The common tradition has been, 
that it was taken under cover of the darkness by Captain 
Joseph Wadsworth, and hidden by him in the hollow trunk 
of a venerable and noble oak-tree standing near the entrance- 
gate of Governor Wyllj^s's mansion. The charter taken 
by Captain Wadsworth was probabl}' the duplicate,^ and 
remained safely in his possession for man}^ years. There is 
reason to believe, that, some time before the coming of 
Andros to Hartfoi'd, the original charter^ had been carefully 
secreted ; and the tradition of later times makes it probable, 
that, while the duplicate charter that was taken from the 
table was hidden elsewhere,^ the original charter found a safe 
resting-place in the heart of the tree that will always be 
remembered as " The Charter Oak." * This tree is said to 
have been preserved by the early settlers at the request of 



1687.] ANDROS ASSUMES AUTHORITY. 95 

the Indians. "It has been the guide of our ancestors for 
centuries," they said, " as to the time of planting our corn. 
When the leaves are the size of a mouse's ears,- then is ihe 
time to put it in the ground." 

The record of the Court briefly states that Andros, having 
been conducted to the governor's seat by the governor him- 
self, declared that he had been commissioned by his Majesty 
to take on him the government of Connecticut. The com- 
mission having been read, he said that it was his Majesty's 
pleasure to make the late governor and Captain John Allyn* 
members of his council. The secretary handed their com- 
mon seal to Sir Edmund, and afterwards wrote these words 
in closing the record: "His 
Excellency Sir Edmund Andros, 
Knight, Captain - General and 
Governor of his Majesty's Ter- 
ritory and Dominion in New Eng- 
land, by order from his Majesty, 
Kino; of Eno;land, Scotland, and 
Ireland, the 31st of October, 1687, 

. CHARTER OAK. 

took mto his hands the govern- 
ment of this colony of Connecticut, it being by his Majesty 
annexed to the Massachusetts and other colonies under his 
Excellency's government, finis." 

Andros soon disclosed a hand of steel beneath the velvet 
glove of plausible words and fair promises. His feeling was 
very bitter towards the ministers of the New-England 
churches. The fact that they were leaders of society, and 
held in universal esteem and respect, made them the special 
objects of his hatred. 

Connecticut suffered less, however, than the other colo- 
nies, from the arbitrary rule of Andros. Governor Treat, as 
a member of his council, was in a position to exercise a quiet 
but thoughtful influence that proved a source of protec- 
tion to his fellow-citizens, and fostered a spirit of patient 

• * See page 106. 




96 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



[1687. 



eDclurance. Happily, the darkness of these hours was 
soon relieved by the dawn of a morning of joy and 
prosperity. 



1 The duplicate cHABTEn of the 
colony, which was secured by Captain 
Joseph Wadsworth of Hartford, was 
safely kept and preserved by him until 
May, 1715. The original charter, which 
now bangs in the secretary's office at 
Hartford, is engrossed on three skins : 
the duplicate was written on two. So 
much of the duplicate as remains, being 
about three-fourths of the second skin, 
is now in the library of the Connecticut 
Historical Society, where it was placed 
by Hon. John Boyd, late secretary of 
this State. The story of its preservation, 
as told by Charles J. Hoadly, Esq., is 
as follows: "In 1817 or 1818, while Mr. 
Boyd was preparing for college at the 
Hartford Grammar School, he boarded 
in the family of the Rev. Dr. Flint of 
the South Church. Coming in one day 
from school, he noticed on the work- 
stand of Mrs. Bissell, the doctor's mother 
in-law, a dingy piece of parchment, 
covered over on one side with black- 
lettered manuscript. In answer to his 
inquiries, Mrs. Bissell told him, that, hav- 
ing occasion for some pasteboard, her 
friend and neighbor, Mrs. Wyllys, had 
sent her this. Mr. Boyd proposed to 
procure her a piece of pasteboard in ex- 
change for the parchment, to which Mrs. 
Bissell consented. It was not, however, 
until six or eight years had elapsed, that 
Mr. Boyd examined the parchment with 
care, when for the first time he learned 
what its contents were." 

The General Assembly held in Hart- 
ford in May, 1715, in its record says, 
" Upon consideration of the faithful and 
good services of Captain Joseph Wads- 
worth of Hartford, especially in secur- 
ing the Duplicate Charter of this Colony 
in a very troublesome season when our 



Constitution was struck at, and in safely 
keeping and preserving the same ever 
since unto this day, this Assembly do, 
as a token of their grateful resentment 
of such his faithful and good service, 
grant him out of the Colony treasury 
twenty shillings." This bill, it appears, 
originated in the Lower House, and gave 
Captain Wadsworth four pounds. The 
Upper House thought the sum too large, 
and it was finally cut down to twenty 
shillings. Evidently the part that the 
good captain acted has become exagger- 
ated with the romance of tradition. 

2 Original Charter. The minutes 
of the General Court held in Hartford, 
June 15, 1687, notes that " Sundry of the 
Court desiring that the Patent or Charter 
be brought into the Court, the Secretary 
sent for it, and informed the Governor 
and Court that be had the charter, and 
shewed it to the Court; and the Govern- 
or bid him put it into the box again, and 
lay it on the table, and leave the key in 
the box, which he did forthwith." 

This is certainly a very peculiar inci- 
dent; and in view of after -events, it 
looks as if the leaving of the box on 
the table made it very easy for some one 
to remove the precious parchment else- 
where. 

3 The tradition was handed down 
from an early date in the Wadsworth 
family, that the duplicate charter was 
hidden in the house of Captain Wads- 
worth. 

4 The old oak was blown down dur- 
ing a severe gale in the month of 
August, 1856. That part of the trunk 
of the tree in which the charter is sup- 
posed to have been hidden, is preserved 
among the historical collections at the 
Athenaeum building in Hartford. 



1689.J AFTEll THE llEVOLUTION OF 1688. ^7 



CHAPTER XVII. 

1689-1693. 

GOVERNMENT RESUMED UNDER THE CHARTER. 

IN May, 1680, a ship arrived in Boston Harbor, bringing 
welcome tidings. James II. had talven flight before tlie 
gatliering storm of national wrath that threatened his de- 
struction ; and William, Prince of Orange, having landed in 
P^ngland, had entered upon his noble and beneficent reign. 

Boston had never witnessed a day of excitement like this. 
The signal-fires were kindled on Beacon Hill ; and the peo- 
ple poured in from the country, eager to give vent to tlieir- 
hatred of Andros and his friends. 

If the excitement over the good news was less intense in 
Connecticut, the joy was as great. With thankful hearts 
the people congratulated themselves upon the wise and pa- 
tient manner in which they had clung persistentl3' to. the 
charter of their liberties, and, in the last extremity, saved it 
from the hands of the tyrant whose power was now broken. 
Governor Treat and the old magistrates having resumed the 
government, a meeting of the Assembly was called. In a 
letter, overflowing with a spirit of devout thanksgiving for 
their deliverance, they told King William the story of the 
wrongs that had been inflicted upon them by the oppressor. 
Having never surrendered the patent given them b}^ Charles 
II., they informed his Majesty that they had taken the lib- 
erty of resuming the reins of government until they could 
learn his good pleasure. 



y8 ' HISTORY OF (CONNECTICUT. [l690. 

Connecticut was anxious to secure a formal confirmation 
of the charter, but this was never granted.^ The law offi- 
cers of the Crown, however, gave an opinion that the acts 
of usurpation on the part of Andros were illegal, and the 
charter intact. Efforts were afterwards made to destroy it, 
and to annex the colony to New York, but in vain. Con- 
necticut was to enjoy the proud distinction of having never 
surrendered her charter, until the war of the Revolution 
joined the destinies of the Commonwealth with that of the 
United States. 

For nearly a century from the accession of William and 
Mary, the internal history of the colony is marked by few 
startling events.^ The currents of life moved peacefully and 
prosperously along the line of political and religious princi- 
ples and social and business customs that developed almost 
an ideal condition of common blessings. Seasons of adver- 
sity, and times of threatened danger, were not infrequent ; 
but, while the alarm of war was often heard without, quiet 
reigned within her borders. 

In the struggles that brought great distress upon her sis- 
ter colonies, Connecticut always gave her aid in generous 
measure. In answer to a call from Governor Bradstreet of 
Massachusetts to aid in the war with the Indians at the East, 
she sent some of her leading men to Boston, to consult with 
commissioners from the other colonies. Satisfied that the 
war was " lawful and just," two hundred of the militia were 
at once sent forward. This aid was all the more generous, 
since the colony was suffering at the time from an epidemic 
sickness of peculiar severity. A few men were sent to help 
Governor Leisler keep the peace in the village of New York,, 
while he tried to carry out some new plans of government. 
When tidings came that the frontier towns of his province 
were threatened by the French and their Indian allies, a part 
of this force, in command of Captain Bull, was sent to 
Schenectady ; and at the time of the attack upon the place. 



1692.] FITZ JOHN WINTHROP VINDICATED. 99 

and the massacre that followed, five of the Connecticut men 
were killed, and five captured. A re-enforcement of two 
hundred men at once marched to Albany. Earl}' in the 
spring, an expedition was planned against Quebec. The 
land force was to consist of eight hundred Englishmen, and 
more than twice that number of Indians of the Five Nations. 
Connecticut furnished her full quota of soldiers, and the 
army was placed in command of Fitz John Winthrop. 
After reaching the place of rendezvous, at the southern end 
of Lake Cham plain, AVinthrop found that neither the Indians 
nor promised provisions were there ; and he thought it best 
to retreat at once. Leisler, it is said, l)ecame so enraged at 
General Winthrop because of this action, that he caused his 
arrest, and placed him under guard, for the purpose of 
bringing him before a court-martial. This high-handed pro- 
ceeding, it is also related, was brought to a summary close 
by a party of Mohawks, who crossed the river, and. break- 
ing through the guards, released the prisoner, " to the uni- 
versal joy of the army." Upon returning home. General 
Winthrop was cordiall}' received ; and, after a careful inves- 
tigation of his conduct, a vote of thanks and exoneration 
was passed by the Assembly.^ 

Fearing that the P^rench fleet, reported at one time to have 
anchored in Narragansett Bay, might visit the Connecticut 
coast, the fortifications at New London and Saybrook were 
garrisoned and put in repair ; but the war was confined to 
attacks upon the western frontier, beyond the Hudson, and 
the settlements of Northern New England. In August, 
1692, Fletcher, tlie recently appointed governor of New 
York, ari'ived from England with a commission that gave 
him command over the militia of Connecticut and the neigh- 
boring provinces. This at once aroused the discussion of 
the old question of jurisdiction that had already caused so 
much trouble and anxiety. The spirit that had flamed u^) 
against the attempt of Andros to deprive them of their 



100 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l693. 

charter liberties, was again rekindled. General Winthrop 
was appointed as the agent of the colony in bringing their 
protest before the king, and calling his attention to the 
wrong that would be done them in allowing Governor Fletcher 
to exercise control over their militia, in direct violation of 
privileges granted b}' their charter. 

The New- York governor would not listen to any concilia- 
tory suggestions, and determined to visit Hartford, to en- 
force his demands in person. He found the Assembly in 
session ; and, having with a great flourish of words asserted 
his authority, insisted that they should at once give a 
direct answer as to whether they would, or would not, obey 
his orders. The Assembly very dutifully complied with his 
command that the militia should be summoned under arms. 
Governor Fletcher desired this to be done in order that he 
might beat up for volunteers : the sequel proved that Gov- 
ernor Treat and his advisers had a very different idea. The 
train-bands were no sooner called together than the authori- 
ties more firmly than ever denied the right of any persons 
outside of the colony to direct their movements. 

Governor Fletcher now sought to accomplish his purpose 
by a more conciliatory policy. He sent a letter to the As- 
sembly, in which he disclaimed any desire or purpose to in- 
terfere with the civil rights of the colony. All that he asked 
was, that they should acknowledge that the king had author- 
ity to appoint the commander-in-chief of the militia. The 
Assembly refused to give up their control of military affairs, 
and Governor Treat declined the commission that had been 
tendered to him. According to orders, the train-bands had 
gathered at Hartford ; and while they were being exercised 
by the senior officer. Captain Wadsworth, Governor Fletcher 
gave commands that his commission and instructions should 
be read to them. '' Beat the drums," was the instant com- 
mand of Captain Wadsworth. The uproar was so great that 
nothing else could be heard. Colonel Fletcher demanded 



1693. 



GOVERNOR FLETCHER AT HARTFORD. 



101 



silence and his secretary attempted to read again, " Drum, 
drum, I say/' was the renewed order of Wadsworth; and 
drum they did with histy vigor, in spite of the angry re- 
monstrance of the royal governor, who cried, " Silence ! 
Silence ! " When a pause came. Captain Wadsworth again 
gave the command to " drum," and, turning to his excel- 
lency, said, " If I am interrupted again, I will make the 
sun shine through you in a moment." ^o further attempt 
to read the instructions or enlist men was made. The 
disgusted and angry governor with his suite soon left town, 
and returned to Xew York.^ 



^FiTZ-JoHN WiNTHROP was sent, 
four years after this, to England, 
to urge this matter ; and Increase 
Mather, who was in England at 
the time the colony sent the Ad- 
dress, asking for the confirmation 
of the charter, proved an efficient 
friend. 

- The witchcraft mania that 
raged with such fury in Eastern 
Massachusetts made trouble in 
Connecticut. The first victim was 
Alse Young of Hartford who was 
hanged in Hartford in 1647. The 
following year Mary Johnson of 
Wethersfield was executed. In 
1653 John Carrington and his wife 
also of W^ethersfield were hanged. 
In 1662 two victims were executed. 
Nathaniel Green Smith and his 
wife were hanged on " Gallows 
Hillj" a short distance north of 
where Trinity College, Hartford, 
now stands. At a special session 
of the Court of Oyer and Terminer, 
held at Fairfield in September, 
1692, Mercy Disborough of Compo, 
in Fairfield, Goody Miller, good- 
wife, alias Elizabeth, Clawson, and 
Mrs. Staples, were indicted for 
familiarity with Satan. " The 
evidence," says Mr. C. J. Hoadly, 
" was much of the same nature as 
in other cases of this crime. The 



water-ordeal was resorted to, as it 
had been in Hartford in 1662. 
Four witnesses swore that Mercy 
Disborough, being bound hand and 
foot and put into the water, svvam 
like a cork, though one labored to 
press her down. Elizabeth Claw- 
son also floated." At a session of 
the court held in the same place, 
Oct. 28, Mercy Disborough was 
alone found guilty. Sentence of 
death was passed ; but a memorial 
was sent to the General Assembly 
asking for her pardon, and there 
is good reason for believing it was 
granted. (See Colonial Records, 
vol. iv. p. 76.) 

3 There is no doubt but that 
Leisler and his commissary Milborn 
were utterly remiss in giving the 
aid they had promised in this ex- 
pedition. When the Connecticut 
magistrates learned that Winthrop 
had been arrested by Leisler at 
Albany, they sent a peremptory 
demand for his release. 

* This is the story of tradition. 
The probabilities are, that, like 
many other stories, it has been ex- 
aggerated by repetition. It hardly 
seems reasonable that the New 
York governor and the Connecti- 
cut captain should have come into 
such personal and angry collision. 



102 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. ^1698. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

1698-1705. 

COLONIAL PROSPERITY. 

THE petition presented to the English Government by 
General Winthrop met with a favorable answer. It was 
decided that Connecticut might command her own militia, 
with the understanding that she should furnish a quota of 
one hundred and twenty men to be under the orders of 
Governor Fletcher during the war. 

Until the session in October, 1698, the General Assembly 
had consisted of one House, but thereafter it became two. 
The governor, or in his absence, the deputy-governor, and 
magistrates, composed the Upper House. The Lower House 
consisted of deputies, now called representatives, from the 
several towns in the colony. No public act could become a 
law without the consent of both Houses. The office of jus- 
tice of the peace was instituted, and a carefully revised edi- 
tion of the laws was published by authority. 

"Free from harassing Indian wars, and from the religious 
troubles of Rhode Island, with an independent government, 
Connecticut was the most peaceful, the most prosperous, 
and the happiest, of the colonies. Her schools flourished, 
her towns throve, the franchise was extended, legislation 
improved, debt avoided, faithful magistrates continued long 
in office, and great attention was paid to every thing calcu- 
lated to improve the welfare of the people " (Lodge). 

We have come now to the dawn of the eighteenth century. 



1698.] EFFORTS TO DESTROY THE CHARTER. 103 

The death of William of Orange in the spring of 1702 was 
followed by the accession of Queen Anne to the English 
throne. The colony continued to prosper in its domestic 
affairs ; but trouble and anxiety were caused by the plotting 
of enemies without, who were at times aided by certain dis- 
affected citizens. The ambitious Dudley, then governor of 
Massachusetts, pushed his schemes by which he hoped to 
unite all of New England under his government. Governor 
Cornbury of New York endeavored to carry out the same 
plan in connection with the southern provinces. These men, 
in seeking to further their selfish interests, were especially 
anxious to humble Connecticut, and destroy the charter, 
which stood in the way of their usurping the power they 
desired. 

Dudley, in his early official relations with Andros, had 
become an apt pupil in the school of mean and lying in- 
trigue ; and he attempted to secure the concentration of the 
government in his hands by false accusations of various 
kinds. Soon after the accession of Queen Anne, a bill was 
introduced into Parliament, the purpose of which was to 
destroy the charters of the colonies. Connecticut was 
again fortunate in the character and ability of her agent in 
London, Sir Henry Ashurst. His plea in behalf of the 
rights of the colony, contained in a remonstrance to the 
Lords and a hearing at the bar of the House of Commons, 
made so deep an impression, that the bill was rejected by 
Parliament. 

With a persistence of purpose worthy of a better cause, 
Dudley, with the co-operation of Cornbury, still continued 
his misrepresentations, and sought to arouse prejudice 
against Connecticut, at the English court. Both of these 
men had influential friends within the royal circle, and they 
made all of the capital they could out of the grievances of 
a few disaffected persons who were displeased with certain 
decisions of the colonial courts that had been ad\erse to 



104 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l705. 

their demands and interests. At the very time Dudley was 
plotting the destruction of the colony, he wrote a letter 
thanking the General Assembly for the generous manner in 
which they had responded to his call for supplies. This 
piece of hypocritical duplicity, however, proved a weapon 
that Ashurst skilfully used in defending the colony. 

While the Connecticut authorities were ignorant of what 
was passing, the queen appointed a time for hearing the 
charges of Governors Dudley and Cornbury. There i>^ no 
doubt but that they had succeeded in prejudicing those high 
in official power against the colon}', and they hoped soon to 
consummate plans that would at last humble and destroy the 
commonwealth that had so long successfully retained her 
charter rights. Sir Henry endeavored to secure a dela}' that 
would give the colon}' time to make an answer. This was 
refused. 

Stung by the sense of injustice done his clients, and real- 
izing more fully the responsibility that was thrust upon him- 
self, in this exigency he sought the efficient aid of his 
brother-in-law, Lord Paget. On the day appointed for the 
hearing, Sir Henry, in an address before the queen and her 
council, with great eloquence and ability presented the cause 
of the colony. It was a good cause, and he knew full well 
the character of the false representations that had been dis- 
seminated. He referred first of all to the charter under 
which Connecticut had so abundantly prospered. He 
showed, that, while those who enjoyed its privileges had stood 
sturdily for their rights, they had never for a moment for- 
gotten their loj'alty to the English throne. Even when 
wrong had been done them, the}' had been steadfast in meet- 
ing every royal command. To the charge that the courts 
were irregular and unjust. Sir Henry replied, that, in every 
case of appeal to the crown, their decisions had been 
approved. 

To the bitter complaint of Governor Dudley that the col- 



1705.] ASHURST DEFENDS THE COLONY. 105 

ony had refused to furnish money and men when he called 
for them, it was shown that they had done all that the crown 
had commanded, and this was all that could be required of 
them under the charter. The defence of Sir Henry turned 
the tide of royal sympathy towards Connecticut. It was 
decided that the charges should be sent to the governor of 
Connecticut, and that all communications, both on the [)art 
of the colony and of Dudley and Cornbury, should be sent 
under seal, and certified. The court evidently was impressed 
with the fact that there had been a great many false reports 
set afloat in an irresponsible way. This action was a blow 
to the machinations of Dudley and Cornbury. 

Connecticut was only too glad to state the real facts in 
the case. She had nothing to conceal, but many things 
which she was proud to bring to the attention of the queen 
and her councillors. Instead of declining to aid in the 
protection of her neighbors, she had then, and also in the 
preceding year, from five hundred to six hundred men in 
actual service, four hundred of them having been employed 
for the most part in the defence of Massachusetts and New 
York. To clinch the argument in behalf of her loyalty to 
the general welfare of the colonies, the letter of Governor 
Dudley was enclosed, in which, only a year before, he had 
thanked Connecticut for her prompt and generous aid. One 
of the principal charges brought against the colony b}' Dud- 
ley, was that of unjust treatment of the Mohegans in tak- 
ing away their lands. The truth was, that great care had 
been taken to deal with this friendly tribe with scrupulous 
honor.- The representations of John Mason and other 
aggrieved parties had, however, deceived the queen and her 
council to such an extent, that a commission was selected to 
look into the matter, and Governor Dudle}' was named as 
one of its members. Having been appointed president of 
the court, he called a meeting of the members at Stonington, 
Aug. 23, 170"). AttiT a i)artial hearing of only a single 



106 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [1705. 

day, and in the face of a protest from a committee sent to 
^ct in behalf of Connecticut, and with no evidence before 
them except that of interested persons, they pronounced 
judgment. A large tract was given to Owaneco, the Mo- 
hegan chief, both in New London and Lyme, besides the 
whole of Colchester. Upon a further hearing of Owaneco 
and other complainants, the court represented to the queen 
that extensive tracts of land north of New London had 
been unlawfuU}' taken from the Mohegans, and the tribe 
in many ways unjustly treated. It was a severe trial to the 
patience of the citizens of Connecticut to suffer from accu- 
sations that were so unjust. Owaneco had always been 
treated kindl}', and the government had paid liberally for the 
land it had purchased. At the time New London received 
its patent, between four and five thousand acres were 
reserved for the use of the Mohegans. 

The court adjourned until the following spring, but this 
proved to be its last meeting. Information was sent to Sir 
Henry Ashurst by a committee appointed by the General 
Assembly. The proofs were so strong in favor of the col- 
ony, that the queen appointed a commission of review, that 
<lecided in favor of Connecticut. Nearly seventy years 
})assed. however, before the case was entirely settled. 



1 John Allyx, secretary of Con- became governor, and Treat took the 

necticut for thirty -three years, died Nov. second place. 

6, 1696. Mr. Allyn was a man of great - The controversy with the Mohegan 

energy and force of character. His wide Indians is thus stated by Dr. Palfrey : 

acquaintance with the men and affairs of ♦' Major John Mason, conqueror of the 

his times gave him a peculiar influence Pequots, had, in behalf of the colony, in 

in the political management and conduct 1659, bought of the sachem Uucas cer- 

of the colony. His pen was ever ready tain lands, which the colony, in its turn, 

to assert the rights of Connecticut, and had conveyed to the English proprietors, 

there was little done in the long years His grandson, of the same name, associ- 

while he held office in which he did not ating with himself some other disaffected 

act a prominent and honorable part. persons, pretended that both the Mohe- 

Governor Treat was elected governor gans and Major Mason's heirs had been 

year after year until 1698. He then asked overreached and wronged by the colonial 

to be relieved, on account of the infirmi- authorities, who, as they alleged, had oc- 

;ies of age; and Fitz John Winthrop cnpied more land of the former than they 



1705. 



THE MOHEGAN CONTROVERSY. 



107 



had bought, and had taken to themselves 
the benefit of a purchase made by Major 
Mason on his private account. For the 
sake of peace and the credit of magna- 
nimity, the government offered to the 
chief Owaneco, who represented the In- 
dians, to pay them again for the land. 



But Mason and his friends interfered, 
resolved toobstruct any accommodation." 
Mason went to England with this com- 
plaint against the colony for extortion 
from the natives, and it was at his insti- 
gation the queen appointed a commission 
to investigate the matter. 



108 HISTOKY OF CONNECTICUT. [1706, 



CHAPTER XIX. 

1706-1717. 

PUBLIC EDUCATION. 

FROM the earliest settlement of Counectlcut the sentimen 
prevailed among the people, that, next to the interests of 
religion, the prosperity of the community depended upon the 
school. As early as 1648 the Assembly passed a law pro- 
viding for common education. Every town containing fifty 
families was required to sustain a good school, where reading 
and writing should be " w^ell taught." A grammar school 
was established at each county-seat, and large tracts of 
land were appropriated for their permanent support. 

Great attention was given to the matter of family instruc- 
tion. The selectmen were required to see that the children 
and servants of every home were taught to read, and ques- 
tioned on matters of religion once a week. Bibles and books 
were furnished the destitute at pulilic expense, and a fine of 
twenty shillings was imposed for the neglect of these duties. 

For many years, contributions were sent annually for tlie 
support of the college at Cambridge. The purpose was early 
formed, however, of founding a college within the New- 
Haven colony. An effort was made in this direction in 
1654. It was at this time that Mr. Davenport interested 
Mr. Hopkins in the educational needs of the colony, and re- 
ceived from him the donation that became an endowment of' 
the grammar school established in 1659, and that still flour- 
ishes under his name. As the number of vouns; men desiring 



1707-08.] YALE COLLEGE FOUNDED. 109 

a liberal education increased, the matter of the college was 
more and more agitated. As the result of sundry deliber- 
ations, ten ministers, who had been selected to act as trustees, 
met at Branford in 1700. 

They here founded the college by the contribution of 
some forty volumes, each saying, as he presented his books, 
" I give these books for the founding of a college in this 
colony." This was the grain of mustard-seed from whence 
has grown Yale University with its wonderful history. The 
college was first opened at Saybrook in 1701, but in 1716 
was removed to New Haven. In September, 1718, the name 
of Yale College was given by the trustees to the school, in 
honor of the benefactions of Elihu Yale of London, who had 
recently held the position of Governor of Madras. 

During the short time that the college remained at Say- 
brook,^ a convention of ministers and laymen, representing a 
large proportion of the churches, met at the commencement, 
in 1708, and adopted a confession of faith and certain rules 
of ecclesiastical order known as the Saybrook Platform. 
The first churches formed in Connecticut were congrega- 
tional in polit}^ ; and this convention was called, not only to 
bring these independent churches into closer fellowship, but 
also to provide for the more regular assembling of councils 
of advice. The close relation in which the churches stood 
to the State is illustrated in the fact, that, after the report of 
the Saybrook convention had been received by the Assem- 
bly, they proceeded to ratify its doings by a formal vote.- 

Governor Fitz John Winthrop^ died in 1707 ; and Gurdon 
Saltonstall. pastor of the church in New London, was elected 
in his place. Governor Saltonstall was a man of command- 
ing presence and great executive ability, and his adminis- 
tration of affairs was marked by energetic action and wise 
fc^resight. Connecticut continued to prosper in all that per- 
tained to her domestic affairs, but she was called upon again 
and again to make costly sacrifices of life and treasure in the 



110 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



[1709-13. 



French and Indian wars. These wars are known in history 
as King William's War (1689), Queen Anne's War (1702), 
King George's War (1744), and "The Old French and 
Indian War" (1755 to 1763). In these conflicts, continik'd 
through so many years, Connecticut realized that it was being 
decided as to whether the French or the English should con- 
trol the Western Continent. 

We have already noticed the part which the colony acted 
in King William's war. AVhen hostilities were again re- 

newed, soon after the ac- 
cession of Queen Anne, 
Connecticut was not in- 
clined to respond to the 
demands of Dudley, who 
was thoroughly detested 
by the people. Governor 
Saltonstall, as soon as he 
entered upon his office, 
inaugurated a more active 
policy. In the fruitless 
campaign of 1709, Con- 
necticut furnished both men and money, and in the following 
year sent three hundred men and five transports to join the 
expedition that captured Port' Royal. The following year 
the colony responded, with its accustomed alacrity, in fur- 
nishing troops and provisions for the army and fleet that, 
under the charge of Admiral Walker and General Hill, met 
with disaster and failure. The expense incurred in these 
expeditions led to the circulation of the first paper money 
ever issued by the colon3\ These bills of credit were secured 
with such care and financial skill that they scarcely depre- 
ciated at all, and the people found them a very convenient 
medium of exchange. 

A long and vexatious controversy over the Massachusetts 
l)Oundary was amicably settled in 1713. The line was run 




EAKLY FRENCH WARS. 



1713.] POl'ULATION AND TRADE. Ill 

by commissioners appointed by both parties ; and, in the final 
decision, Connecticut received over one hundred thousand 
acres that Massachusetts had laid claim to. This land was 
sold for six hundred and eighty-three pounds currency, mak- 
ing the price about six farthings an acre, and the money 
given to Yale College. The boundary question with Rhode 
Island still remained open. 

The tidings of the Peace of Utrecht was received with 
great joy by all the colonies. The draft upon their resources 
had been continuous and severe. Connecticut, to be sure, 
had been more fortunate than her neighbors. The town of 
Simsbury had alone been destroyed, and that was burned 
after the inhabitants had found a place of safety. The 
seeds of religious training, moral habits, and educational 
advantages, sown in the hearts and homes of the people, had 
produced a harvest of character that was enjoying the bless- 
ings of the prosperity that attends upon industry, moralit}', 
and mental enlightenment. 

The population of the colony in 1713 was probably be- 
tween twenty-five thousand and thirty thousand. Thirty- 
eight towns sent forty delegates to the Assembly. There 
were four counties (Hartford, New Haven, Fairfield, New 
London), and the militia consisted of a regiment of a thou- 
sand men from each county. Considerable trade was carried 
on with Boston. New York, and the West Indies. The only 
articles exported to Great Britain were turpentine, pitch, 
tar, and furs. Horses, pork, beef, and cattle were sent to 
the West Indies, and in return they received rum, sugar, 
molasses, and cotton-wool. The entire shipping of the- 
colony consisted of two small brigs and twenty sloops. 
There was but a single clothier, and all that he could do was 
to full the cloth ; and most of that which was manufactured 
was worn without shearing or pressing. Twice during the 
year the Assembly met ; but every thing was conducted upon 
so simple and economical a scale, that the entire expense 



112 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [1714-15. 

of government did not exceed probabh' thirty-five hundred 
dollars. 

The accession of George the First to the throne of Eng- 
land found Connecticut on the flood-tide of a prosperity 
that continued for many years with little to check its course. 
Such da^^s are uneventful in historic incidents, but pleasant 
to recall. The older towns, like swarming hives, sent out 
company after company to lay the foundations of new towns. 
until the valleys and forest wilderness on every side began to 
'' bud and blossom as the rose." The fathers and mothers 
who had first settled the colony rested from their earthly 
labors, but their children proved worthy of the inheritance 
they had received. 

During the year following the accession of the House of 
Hanover, a bill was again brought into Parliament to repeal 
the charters of all the colonies. This attack was largeh^ 
instigated by English merchants, who began to fear lest the 
growth of manufactures, fostered by the independent action 
of tli,e colonies, might lessen their trade. Through the ener- 
getic and wise action of Jeremiah Dummer, the king gave 
a favorable decision in behalf of the colonies ; and those who 
were jealous of the growth of industries in America, had to 
rest content with the declaration of the House of Commons. 
'• that the erecting manufactories in the colonies tended to 
lessen their dependence upon Great Britain." 

The alarm of these English manufacturers and merchants 
did not abate. In 1731 they sent a petition to Parliament, 
and the Board of Trade were ordered to inquire and report 
regarding the matter. With the busy hum of industr}^ that 
now fills the State, we can but smile as we read a part of 
this elaborate report, that among other things says, "It 
were to be wished that some expedient might be fallen upon 
to direct their thouo^hts from undertakings of this nature : 
SO much the rather, because these manufactures, in process 
of time, ma}' be carried on in greater degree, unless an earl}' 
stop be put to their progress." 



1717.] 



DEATH OF GOVERNOR TREAT. 



.113 



The war stirred up by Rasle, a French Jesuit, who had 
gained a commanding influence among the Penobscot In- 
dians, caused Massachusetts much anxiety and suffering. 
Connecticut declined to have any thing to do with the 
conflict beyond sending a company of fifty men to protect 
her border. The venerable and beloved Governor Treat, ^ 
full of years and honors, died in 1710. 



1 Yale College was uot removed 
from Saybrook without earnest opposi- 
tion. Even after the consent of the 
Assembly was secured, the sheriff, when 
he came to talie the boolis that belonged 
to the college, found the house sur- 
rounded by men determined to resist 
him. Having forcibly entered the build- 
ing, he took the books, and kept them 
under guard that night. In the morning 
he found the carts, that had been pro- 
vided to carry them to Xew Haven, 
broken, and the horses turned loose. 
Having secured new means of convey- 
ance, they started for New Haven, but 
found some of the bridges broken ; and, 
before they reached their destination, 
many of the books were missing. The 
excitement gradually died away; and 
within a few years, harmony was re- 
stored, both in the colony and the board 
of trustees. 

2 Appended to this law was this 
provision, " That nothing herein shall 
be intended or construed to hinder or 
prevent any society or church that is or 
shall be allowed by the laws of this 
government, who soberly differ or dis- 
sent from the united churches hereby 
established, from exercising worship 
and discipline in their own way, accord- 
ing to their conscience" (Conn. Col. 
Rec, V. 87). 

3 FiTZ John Winthrop, son of 
Governor John Winthrop, was born 
in Ipswich, Mass., 1638. He received 
his education in England. He accepted 
a military commission under Richard 
Cromwell, but on the restoration re- 



turned to Connecticut. He served in 
King Philip's war, and was a member 
of Governor Andros's council. In 1690 
he was appointed major-general, in com- 
mand of the Canada expedition ; and in 
the controversies that grew out of this 
unfortunate campaign, he retained the 
confidence of Connecticut. He was sent 
to England in 1694, as the agent of the 
colony, and discharged his duties with 
such faithfulness, that the Legislature 
made him a present of twenty-five hun- 
dred dollars. He was elected governor 
of Connecticut, and continued in this 
office until the time of his death. Like 
his distinguished father, he was a man 
of considerable scientific attainments, 
and was honored by being elected a 
member of the Royal Society of England. 
Of unblemished character and pious life, 
his name is worthy of the high place it 
occupies in the annals of colonial times. 
4 Robert Treat was born in Eng- 
land in 1622. When a lad he came to this 
country with his father, who was among 
the first planters of Wethersfield. Soon 
after this he removed to Milford; and, 
although but a youth of eighteen, he was 
chosen to aid in surveying and laying 
out the lands of the new town. In 1661 
he was elected a magistrate, and con- 
tinued to serve in this office until 1664, 
when he declined to serve further under 
the existing state of affairs. He was an 
earnest advocate of the union of the 
colonies; and it was to a great degree 
owing to his influence that Milford with- 
drew from the jurisdiction of New 
Haven, and joined its fortunes to Con« 



114 



HISTORY OF CONKECTICUT. 



necticut. His warm friendship for Win- 
throp, and symijathy with his plans, were 
shown in his efforts to forward them. 
In 1675 he was appointed colonel of the 
Connecticut troops. During King 
Philip's war, he won honorable dis- 
tinction for military skill and bravery. 
Again and again he saved the border 
towns of Massachusetts from destruc- 
tion, and proved equal to every emer- 
gency. In 1676 he was elected deputy- 
governor, and governor In 1683. He 



held this position for fifteen years with 
distinguished success. Warmly sympa- 
thetic in his feehngs, Governor Treat 
was also possessed of an excellent judg- 
ment, keen discrimination, and knowl- 
edge of men. The hospitalities of his 
home were open to all, and his benevo- 
lence without stint. Beloved by those 
who knew him, and honored as a man 
of fearless courage and Christian char- 
acter, he died at the advanced age of 
eighty-eight. 



LLFE OF THE PEOPLE. 115 



CHAPTER XX. 
LIFE OF THE PEOPLE. 

AT this point in our narrative, let us recall the every-day 
life and surroundings of the people. The temporary 
log huts which the first settlers built for shelter, were soon 
replaced by substantial frame houses. These structures, 
while devoid of ornament or architectural beauty, were well 
fitted to the wants of the self-reliant and industrious people 
who dwelt within them. The huge chimney, standing in the 
centre of the house, was built of stone, and, where it passed 
through the first floor, measured about ten feet in diameter. 
The front door opened into a hall which contained the prin- 
cipal stairway. On each side were two large rooms used 
as parlors, but one or both of them were almost always fur- 
nished with beds to meet the requirements of a hospitality 
that was unstinted and constant. The great kitchen in the 
rear of the chimney was the living-room of the family. 
Here they cooked and ate their food, and in winter gathered 
about the capacious fireplace with its iron crane and hang- 
ing-kettles, and oven at one side. Stoves were an unknown 
luxury ; and in some of the houses of the more wealthy 
planters, the fireplaces were numerous. At first the roofs 
of their dwellings were covered with thatch, but they soon 
learned that shingles were far better. The floors were of 
thick oak boards fastened with wooden pins. The sides 
of the rooms were plastered, but the joists and floor above 
were exposed to view. In the parlors, the side next to the 
chimney was wainscoted, and the wide panels were from 



116 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 




WHITEFIELD HOUSE. 



the largest trees of the forest. The windows were made of 
small, diamond-shaped pieces of glass, set with lead ; and the 
frame was hung upon hinges that opened outward. Farm- 
houses were usually' built near a spring, which supplied the 
water for domestic use as well as for the cattle. If a well 

were dug, the water was 
drawn by the aid of a '' well- 
sweep," some of which ma}' 
still be found in almost 
every rural comuiunity. 

A few of the houses were 
built of stone. Of these, the 
house of the Rev. Mr. White- 
field of Guilford, built in 
1639, is still standing, and is the oldest house in the United 
States north of Florida.^ The majority of the early frame 
houses were built with a long, steep roof on the rear side ; but 
this style, known as the " lean-to," was succeeded by the 
gambrel or hipped roofed houses, of which man}' still remain. 
Although the size and expensiveness of 
these houses varied in accordance with 
the wealth and position of their owners, 
tliey were all marked by the qualities of 
simplicity, solidity, and neatness. 

For a period of half a century and 
more after the settlement of the colonies, 
the household furniture, as a rule, was 
rude and scanty. The floors were bare of carpets ; and 
excepting the bedsteads, which were placed in almost every 
room, the most conspicuous piece of furniture in the house 
was the tall case or '' chest " of drawers, that usually stood 
in the parlor. There were a few wealthy planters who had 
tapestry-hangings in their apartments, and enjoyed the lux- 
ury of carpets and other imported articles : but in most 
liouses. even up to the time of the Revolution, the furniture 




SUN-DIAL. 



LIFE OF THE PEOPLE. 



IIT 



was plain and substantial. Sun-dials served in the place of 
clocks, which were scarce and dear. Pewter and wooden 
dishes were used instead of china, which was kept for ex- 
traordinary occasions. Almost every well-to-do family had 
more or less of handsome silver, which was seldom taken from 
the place where it was hoarded with scrupulous care, and 
handed down as heirlooms from generation to generation. 

The table was plainly but abundantly supplied. Indian 
meal was cooked in various ways, and eaten with molasses. 
Vegetables were used in large quantities, 
the turnip being more of a favorite than 
the potato. Meat was abundant ; and, 
before tea and coffee came into use, beer 
brewed after the English fashion was the 
common drink. With the growth of or- 
chards, cider took the place of beer, and 
a generous supply of New-England rum 
was to be found on the side-board of every 
family. The disastrous effect of this haliit 
was checked none too soon by the discus- 
sions in the early part of this century that 
entirely changed the opinions and attitude 
of the best people on this subject. 

The family meals w^ere generally eaten in the great kitchen, 
where the food was cooked. At the end of this room, pew- 
ter platters, porringers, and basins, when not in use, were 
displayed on open shelves ; and other utensils of tin and 
l)rass hung against the wide panels of the wainscot." It was 
in this room that the social life of the people appears in its 
most pleasant forms. Here it was that neighbors gathered 
in the long winter evenings about the great fireplace, and 
cracked nuts, or busied their hands in making brooms and 
other articles, while the merry laughter of children mingled 
with the story-telling of the elders. 

At first very few of the colonists settled upon isolated 




HANGING-LAM 



118 



HISTORV OF CONNECTICUT. 



fiirnis, but grouped themselves in little village comm«nities. 
The church, the block-house, the school, the variety store, 
and blacksmith's shop were the centre from which the village- 
streets radiated. Here it was that the life of the people 
pulsated in its common interests. Each town was a little 
republic in itself. The habit of industry prevailed among 
all classes. There was no room for idlers ; and a shiftless, 
indolent person was regarded with contempt.^ While the 
men toiled upon the farms, the women were busy at their 




A COLONIAL HOME. 



spinning-wheels, or. engaged in household duties. The pros- 
perity that in time smiled upon our thrifty forefathers, was 
won at the cost of uni-emitting toil. Large families were the 
rule ; and the sons were early taught some trade as well as 
the management of the farm, and the daughters received a 
practical training in the conduct of domestic affairs. It is 
difficult for us to realize how simple and quiet were the 
social conditions of those earl}' days. The steam-engine, 
the telegraph, the newspaper, aud modern postal facilities, 
were then unknown. 



LIFE OF THE PEOPLE. 119 

New Haven was a way-station in the monthly mail-trip 
that, after 1672, was made between New York and Boston. 
This service, however, was quite irregular until Benjamin 
P^anklin made a tour of the colonies, and made more perfect 
arrangements. The first newspaper in New Haven, called 
''The Connecticut Gazette," was founded in January, 1755, 
but discontinued from lack of patronage in 1 762. Three years 
after, it was revived by Benjamin Mecom, who gave notice 
that he had secured local correspondents, and had sent for 
" three kinds of English magazines, the ' Monthly Review 
of Books,' and one of the best London newspapers." He 
was confident that ^ these, 
with American intelligence 
from Nova Scotia to Georgia, 
and from Canada," would 
give his readers a " Stock of 
Momentous Materials." 

It was not until about the 
middle of the eighteenth cen- 
tur}^ that carriages and wagons # 
were used by a few wealthy 
citizens in the larger towns. 

The first pleasure-carriage ever seen in Litchfield was brought 
there b}' Mr. Matthews, the English mayor of New York, 
who was confined in that town as prisoner-of-war in 1776. 
The people did not take kindly to this luxurious way of 
travelling, and the owner of the first chaise in Norwich was 
fined for riding in it to church. 

Ox-carts and sleds were used in farm-work, and in carry- 
ing produce and supplies to market ; but journeys for pleas- 
ure or business were made on horseback. Almost every 
famil}' kept a horse ; and, in riding, the women and children 
sat behind on a pillion. Common furniture, and household 
and farm utensils, were made by the farmer and his sons ; 
and the clothing of the family, from dressing the flax to 




i 4 f 


■» 




1 


PRINTINfJ-PRESS. 





120 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



cutting the cloth, was ahnost universally the handiwork of 

the women. 

The men wore homespun ; and the women made their 

dresses, for ordinary service, of coarse, strong linen. Great 
pride and care were taken in providing 
more elegant and elaborate clothing for 
Sunday use. The men on that day 
donned cloth coats and beaver hats, 
and the women appeared in carefully 
preserved silk or brocade.^ The hair 
for a long time was powdered, and worn, 
b}^ the women, in a simple braid ; but 
this fashion was followed by an extreme, 
in which the locks were combed over a 
cushion of horse-hair, so that it would 
often be a foot above the crown. 
During the reign of Charles II., wigs 
were very fashionable, both in Old and 
New England ; and it was not un- 
common to see boys dressed in short 

clothes, wearing a wig surmounted by a three-cornered 

hat. 




GENT IN BOOTS. 



1 The Whitefield House was 
built of stone from a ledge some eighty 
rods distant. Atwater, in his History 
of the New-Haven Colony, says, " The 
"Whitetield house differed from the typi- 
cal Xew-England dwelling, both in the 
material of which it was built, and in its 
interior arrangements. Houses were 
usually supported, not by walls of 
stone, but by frames of heavy timber. 
White oak was a favorite wood for this 
purpose, and some of the larger pieces 
were considerably more than a foot 
square. Mr. Whitefield, though he was 
a man of wealth, had no more apart- 
ments in his dwelling than the average 
Xew-England planter. It is not easy to 
conjecture where he had his study, nor 



where he lodged his ten children, some 
of whom were nearly or quite adult 
when he came to Guilford. His house 
seems small for the requirements of hiA 
family and of his calling, and surpris- 
ingly small in contrast with that of the 
minister of New Haven. Mr. Davenport 
had but one child; but there were thir- 
teen fireplaces in his house, while in Mr. 
Whitefield's there were but five." There 
were many who thought the New-Ha%-en 
people were extravagant in building such 
" fair and stately houses." 

2 A LETTER written in 1780 by the 
Rev. Mr. Trowbridge of Southington, to 
his recently wedded wife, gives an idea of 
the household furnishing late in the cen- 
tury : " I have purchased," he says, '• a 



LIFE OB^ THE PEOPLE. 



121 



clock, brass kettle, iron pot, coffee-mill, 
pair of flats, pair of brass candle-sticks, 
brass andirons, and looking-glass; so I 
hope we shall be able, on the whole, to 
set up housekeeping with some little 
decency." In a postscript he adds, "A 
warming-pan I can borrow for the next 
winter." 

3 At Hartford, New Haven, and New 
London were houses of correction, " for 
suppressing and punishing of rogues, 
vagabonds, common beggars, and other 
lewd, idle, dissolute, and disorderly per- 
sons, and for setting them to work." 
They were punished by putting fetters 
or shackles upon them, and by moderate 
whipping, not exceeding ten stripes at 
once, ..." to be inflicted at their first 
coming in, and from time to time in case 
they be stubborn, disorderly, or idle, and 
do not perform their task, and that in 
good condition." 



* The ordinary dress of the people 
was more picturesque than in these days. 
The doublet, as an outer garment, was 
universally worn by the men, and was 
often of red or other bright color. The 
waistcoat was worn beneath the doublet, 
and was made of cotton bj' the poorer 
classes: those who could afford it, often 
used silk. The sleeves were slashed, in 
order to display the arms. In Massa- 
chusetts, as early as 1634, there was a 
law enacted against " slashed apparel, 
immoderate great sleeves, long wigs, 
gold, silver, or thread lace, knots of rib- 
bon, double ruff or cuffs." Like other 
laws of the sort, it was virtually a dead 
letter as far as any special enforcement 
was concerned. As a text for the Puri- 
tan preachers, it was very earnestly and 
frequently inculcated. 



122 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



CHAPTER XXI. 

SOCIAL DISTINCTIONS. — MARRIAGE CUSTOMS.— 
FUNERAL SERVICES.— NEGRO SLAVERY. 

AMONG the earW settlers of ConDectieut, a large propor- 
tion of those known as ' ' planters ' ' were descended from 
the landed gentry of England. In many cases they traced 
their ancestry in a noble line from the time of William the 
Conqueror, and it is not strange that pride of birth con- 
tinued to exert a peculiar influence in the social life and 
customs of the colony. 

Titles were used sparingly, and with careful discrimina- 
tion. Onl}' those who had possessed landed estates in Eng- 
land, the younger sous of the nobility and the sons of 
liaronets and knights, were addressed in writing with the 
title of "Esquire." The more common title of honor was 
"Master" or "Mr." Among those who received this mark 
of distinction were clerg3'men, and planters of good families, 
and those sufficiently well-born who had enjo3'ed the advan- 
tages of a liberal education. This appellation was seldom 
bestowed upon young men of whatever rank. "Sir" was 
a title emploj^ed in a limited sense to designate young gentle- 
men who were students in college. The sons of men like 
Governor Winthrop or Governor Treat, when at home during 
their vacations, would be greeted by old companions as Sir 
AYinthrop or Sir Treat. 

Those who, by thrift and force of character, won a worthy 
position in the community, were called "Goodman" and 
" Goodwife." MiUtarv titles were in high favor, and recog- 



SOCIAL DISTINCTIONS. 123 

nized with becoming deference. Prior to 1654 the highest 
militar}' office in the colony was captain, and John Mason 
of Pequot fame was the only one who bore this title. When 
in after-3^ears he visited the militia of the different towns, 
bearing the insignia of his rank as major, he was " gazed at 
by the boys and girls of the settlement with eyes of wide 
wonder, as a man to be reverenced, but not approached." 
Ecclesiastical titles were highly esteemed, but the clerical 
prefix of Reverend was not employed in early colonial times. 
Ministers were recognized as Mr., Pastor, Teacher, or Elder. 

The legal and medical professions had but scant recogni- 
tion in these early days. The doctor picked up what little 
knowledge he possessed from personal association and study 
with an older practitioner. His success depended upon his 
natural skill and tact in dealing with people, and a wise 
sympathy in the suggestions and notions of the good house- 
wives, who felt that the art of healing was a part of their 
domestic duties. 

The lawyers fared hard. No mention is made of them in 
the public records of the times, except in the statute which, 
having mentioned rioters, scolds, drunkards, and other evil- 
doers, provides that '' common barrators, which frequently 
move, stir up, and maintain suits of law in court, or quar- 
rels and parts in the country, shall give security for their 
good behavior, or be' sent to the common gaol." It was not 
until late in the eighteenth century that Connecticut lawj'ers 
depended upon their profession alone for a living. During 
Governor Talcott's administration, the attention of the As- 
sembly was called to the fact, ' • that many persons had 
taken upon them to be attorneys at the bar, so that quarrels 
and lawsuits were multiplied, and the king's good subjects 
disturbed." It was enacted that there should be "allowed 
in the colony, eleven attorneys and no more ; namely, three 
in Hartford County, and two in each of the others." This 
law was, however, soon repealed. 



124 . HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 

Long before the Revolution, society had fallen into certain 
lines and orders that sharply defined personal influence and 
position. This order followed the gradations of gentlemen, 
yeomen, merchants, mechanics, and servants. The position 
of yeoman was every way honorable. Some of them bore 
the title of master, and were elected to fill important offices 
of trust. The educated class, however, formed the real 
aristocracy of societ}' ; and it was not until after the Revo- 
hition that their commanding influence began to wane. 

At the head of this aristocracy stood the clergy. While 
a few men of wealth, birth, and personal strength of char- 
acter, held commanding positions, and officers who liad 
gained military renown were highly esteemed, there was 
no class of men who occupied as unique and powerful a 
vantage-ground of influence as the ministry. 

" The ministers of the Puritan emigration," says a recent 
historian, " were men of birth, education, and breeding. 
Many of them had been driven from the pulpits of the 
English Church, and all possessed the sternest courage and 
deepest convictions. They were, without exception, leaders 
in every way among the people ; formed the strongest class 
in the community, and were bold, vigorous, intolerant, able 
men, who set their mark indelibly upon tlie early institutions 
of New England. In accordance with their views, the laws 
were framed; by their opinions, much of the public policy 
was directed ; for them the college was founded, and they 
alone were thought worthy of the highest education. To 
them the people looked up with a voluntary reverence, and 
with profound awe ; while from their pulpits, thev wielded 
an authority, and exercised a power, which was simply over- 
whelming ' ' ( Lodge) . 

The Lord's Day began at sunset on Saturday. At this- 
moment all unnecessary work ceased, and the time was 
l)assed with strict religious observance until sunset of the 
following day. Sunday evening was given to recreation and 




MARRIAGE CUSTOMS. — FUNERAL SERVICES. 125 

social conversation and visiting. This was the time when 
the young men were in the habit of visiting the Puritan 
maidens without fear that parents or guardians would be 
dis[)leased, if they were worthy. The marriages that resulted 
from these visits were solemnized by a magistrate. If a clergy- 
man officiated, he was obliged to secure a special permit. 

Weddings in early colonial days were usually celebrated 
quietly at the home of the bride. With the increase of 
wealth, there was a marked change in this respect. Not 
only were the banns proclaimed in the church, but a general 
invitation was given from the pulpit to attend the ceremony. 
Friends and neighbors were entertained with lavish hospital- 
ity at the bride's house. On the wedding- 
day, muskets were fired ; and those who 
attended the ceremony, marched in pro- 
cession to the bride's home. The wed- 
ding-feasts lasted sometimes for two or ^^DDiNa slippek. 
three days. At a grand wedding in 
New London, on the day after the marriage ninety-two 
ladies and gentlemen, it is said, proceeded to dance ninety- 
two jigs, fifty-two contra-dances, forty-five minuets, and 
seventeen hornpipes. Marriages were usually consummated 
at a very early period of life, many girls becoming wives at 
sixteen and seventeen. 

The early settlers made the final offices of respect to the 
dead as simple as possible. This custom changed in time, 
and. while the religious rites were brief, the obsequies were 
l>erformed with much pomp and state. The grave was dug 
by friends, and, after the service, was also filled by their 
hands. Leading men of the community were selected as 
pall-bearers ; and besides a general distribution of scarfs, 
gloves, and rings, a feast of baked meats and drink was pro- 
vided. This extravagance was carried so far that it was the 
custom in some of the towns to supply scarfs and gloves ^ on 
the burial of a pauper. 



126 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 

It seems strange to think of Connecticut as a slave- 
holding State, but such was the case in colonial times. 
There are men still living who met in their childhood with 
persons who had seen, a cargo of slaves placed in the old 
jail at Middletown, and afterwards sold at auction. At the 
time of the Revolution, several prominent citizens in this 
thriving village of about one hundred families were sea- 
captains engaged in the slave-trade. This business was 
very profitable for many years. Vessels going out to the 
West Indies carried horses, hoops, grain, and other articles, 
and on the return trips brought cargoes of Guinea negroes. 
They seem to have been treated kindly, as a rule ; and the 
characteristics that mark the race to-day were prominent 
then. 

Captive Indians, as well as negroes, were held for service 
in famiUes ; and the colonial authorities enjoined a strict care- 
in the training and religious instruction of these bond-ser- 
vants. Soon after the Revolution, steps were taken to bring 
about a gradual emancipation of slaves on the ground that 
it was not profitable to keep them. The conscience of the 
people evidently was not troubled in those days over the sin 
of slavery.^ 

» The almanac of Dr. Andrew Elliott latto Boys or men, from 14 to 24 years of 

discloses the fact that in thirty-two years age. Inquire of the printers, New 

he received twenty-nine hundred pairs of .&a?7en, May 9, 1779." "To be Sold, a 

gloves at funerals, weddings, and bap- Mulatto Slave, about 21 years old, is 

tisms : of these he sold about six huu- healthy, strong, and active; well ac- 

dred and forty dollars' worth. quainted with all kinds of farming busi- 

2 Advertisements like the follow- ness, and can work at shoemakers trade, 

jng were frequent after the publication For further particulars, inquire of Ed- 

of newspapers began : " Wanted to pur- ward Barker, of Branford, or the^ 

■:hase immediately. Two Negro or Mu- Printers hereof." 



THE IIELIGIOUS LIFE OF THE PEOPLE. 127 



CHAPTER XXII. 

THE RELIGIOUS LIFE OF THE PEOPLE. — SABBATH 
OBSERVANCE. — SOCIAL PLEASURES. 

THE story of Connecticut in colonial days would be incom- 
plete indeed that did not make mention of the religious 
life of the people and their observance of the sabbath. 
The men and women who laid the foundations of our com- 
monwealth were exiles from the land of their birth for con- 
science' sake. "Freedom to worship God" was the joy 
and privilege of hearts that sought above all else to know 
and do His will. 

In a rude building of logs, often but a barn, the earl}" 
settlers gathered on sabbath morning at the beat of a drum 
or the sound of a horn ; for nearly a hundred years passed 
away before bells were in general use. As soon as the peo- 
ple were able to do so, they built churches with the square 
tunnel roof, which, still later, were improved by the addition 
of a steeple. For many years, especially in the outlying- 
towns, savages lurked near the villages ; and Sunday, when 
all were gathered in the church, was a time of peculiar dan- 
ger. The minister at the desk was often armed, all the men 
in the congregation were armed, and sentinels were posted 
at the doors, while others kept watch outside. 

After this danger passed, the physical discomforts suffered 
b}^ these earnest and devout worshippers were many. There 
was no way provided for heating the churches, and the doors 
were thrown open to let in the sun. Ministers often preached 
in their overcoats, with a muffler about the neck, and mittens 



128 HISTOllY OF CONNECTICUT. 

upon their hands. In severe winter weather the women car- 
ried heated stones in their muffs, and, Uiter, Uttle hand-stoves ; 
while the men drew bags over their feet to keep them warm. 
The exercises were length3% continuing sometimes for hours. 
As better churches were built, pews took the place of the 
hard benches. 

The seating of the congregation was a matter of great 
importance. Below the pulpit sat the elders and deacons ; 
while in the body of the church, the men were ranged on one 
side, and the women on the other, according to age, rank, and 
social condition. In the back seats or in the galler}' were 
placed the children or negroes ; and " behind all the tithing- 
men, with long staves tipped with brass, with which they 
i-apped unmercifully the heads of slumbering or disorderly 
men or boys ; while for delinquents of the fair sex, they con- 
tented themselves with brushing their faces with a hare's 
foot appended to the rod. Strict discipline was always ob- 
served, and any tendency to fall asleep was promptly 
checked." ^ 

In singing, the verses were given out by a leader, a line at 
a time, and chanted by the whole congregation, who did not 
know half a dozen different tunes. This singing " by rule," 
says a historian of those days, '' sounded like five hundred 
different tunes roared out at the same time." This system 
of organized discord met with resistance ; and a reform was 
begun about 1700, to substitute singing by note for singing 
by rule, but this led to a prolonged struggle. As late as 
1773, Avhen the new singing was introduced into the church 
in ITarwinton, Litchfield County, one of the deacons arose, 
and left the church, crying, " Popery ! Poper^^ ! " 

Because "the evening and the morning were the first 
da}'," they commenced their observance of the Lord's Day 
on Saturday at sunset. - At this hour the busy housekeeper 
had arranged to lay aside all work, and a peculiar quiet 
reigued throughout the community and every home. Family 



SABBATH OBSERVANCE. 129 

worship was generally followed by the religious instruction 
of children and servants. On sabbath morning every one 
went to church. Families living at a distance came pre- 
pared to spend the entire day. The elders and children rode 
on horseback, and the young people walked. In summer 



MKKTINti-HOUSE OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTLBV. 

weather, it was a common custom for them, as a matter of 
economy, to go barefoot until near the church, when they 
would put on the shoes and stockings they had carried in 
their hands. 

Many of those who resided at a distance, spent the inter- 
mission between the services in what were called ^ sabbath- 



130 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 

day houses." ^ These houses were small log or frame 
structures, having a single or double room with a fireplace, 
and furnished with a bench, a few chairs, and a table. Here 
the family and other friends gathered to eat their lunch, and 
wai*m their chilled hands and feet. 

Days of public fasting and prayer were frequent, and 
family worship was a part of the home life. Strict discipline 
was enforced in all that pertained to the social and public 
affairs of the community. Respect for parental authority 
was universal, and the rules of a strict morality were en- 
forced in the conduct of business. In New Haven a certain 
John Meigs, a currier and tanner, put such poor leather on 
the market, that he was brought into court to be punished 
for his offence. In giving judgment, the court said, " In a 
single pair of shoes, several evils appear ; such as contempt 
of court, continued unrighteousness, and other similar evils ; 
and how many shoes he had made and sold of such faulty 
materials, and so loaded with evils, the court say they know 
not." The cobbler soon after left the colony. 

We should gain a very wrong impression of the old times, 
if we thought of our Puritan ancestors as always wearing- 
long faces, never smiling, or enjoying innocent pastimes. 
On the contrary, their social life was marked by many fes- 
tive days. Six times in a year the whole military force of 
the plantation was called out. These general training-days 
brought together the old people, women and children, as 
spectators of the military exercises and athletic games that 
followed. ''The enjoyment which they experienced in watch- 
ing the mana?uvres of the soldiers, and the games of cudgel, 
l^acksword, fencing, running, leaping, wresthng, stool-ball, 
ninepins, and quoits, was enhanced by sharing the spectacle 
with the multitude, meeting old friends, and making ac- 
quaintance with persons of congenial spirit." Election days 
were times of general gathering. "On these days the pil- 
lion was fastened behind the saddle ; and the good wife rode 



SOCIAL PLEASURES. 



13J 



with her good man to the seat of government, to truck some 
of the yarn she had been spinning, for ribbons and other 
foreign goods, as well as to gather up the gossip of the year. 
On such occasions a store of cake was provided beforehand, 
and ' election-cake ' is consequently one of the institutions 
received from our fathers" (Atwater). 

Thanksgiving was the great festal da}^ of the year. In its 
general features and spirit, it is observed now very much as 
In colonial times. It was the day when children and grand- 
children gathered in the 
old homestead with joy- 
ous greetings. The 
table fairly groaned be- 
neath the good things 
that had been provided 
by the noble mothers 
and daughters, who had 
reason to be proud of 
their skill in preparing 
all kinds of appetizing- 
dishes. The male mem- 
ber of the family were 
faithful in their attend- 
ance upon the service of public worship in the morning, but 
the rest of the day was filled with home festivities.- 

The gift of corn was especially remembered. The injunc- 
tion of an old Puritan minister was common. '' Of all other 
things on the table you may eat, but of the Indian pudding 
yow must eat." It was of this dish that Joel Barlow, the 
famous Connecticut poet, wrote these lines : — 

"Ye Alps audacious, through the heavens that rise 
To cramp the day, and hide me from the skies, 
I sing not you. A softer theme I choose, 
A virgin theme, unconscious of the muse, 
But fruitful, rich, well suited to inspire 
The purest frenzy of poetic fire. 




•OUTUAIT WIIK H BELONGED TO THE 
EATON FAMILY. 



132 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



I sing the sweets I know, the charms I feel, 
My morning incense, and my evening meal, 
The sweets of Hasty Pudding." 



» Sleeping in church was evi- 
dently a besetting ein in those days, 
when a large part of the congregation 
were accustomed to an active outdoor 
life, that must have made it very difficult 
fir them to sit through the long-drawn- 
out services without phj'sical drowsiness. 
But their consciences were tender re- 
garding the reverence and attention that 
was due the service of the Lord's house. 
Cotton Mather, in his account of the 
death of Thomas Hooker, says, " Some 
of his most observant hearers noticed an 
astonishing cloud in his congregation, 
the last Lord's Day of his public minis- 
try, when he administered the Lord's 
supper among them; and a most un- 
accountable heaviness and sleepiness, 
even of the most watchful Christians of 
the place, not unlike the drowsiness of 
the disciples, when our Lord was going 
to die, for which one of the elders re- 
buked them. When tliose devout people 
afterwards perceived that this was the 
last sermon and sacrament wherein they 
were lo have the presence of their i^as 
tor with them, 'tis inexpressible how 
much they bewailed their inattentive- 
nees to his farewell dispensations; and 
some of them could enjoy no peace in 
their own souls, until they had obtained 
leave of the elders to confess before the 
whole congregation, with many tears, 
that inadvertency." 

- This custom was observed until 
wiihin the memory of those now living. 
Dr. Bushnell, in his Age of Homespun, 
telle a story of his boyhood, when he was 
refused a load of apples which he had 
gone to buy on Saturday, because the good 
neighbor, on consulting the sun, thought 
he would not be able to measure and load 
the fruit before the strict sabbath began. 

• Sarbatii DAY HOUSES. Dr. \V. ('. 



Fowler, in his History of Durham, gives 
this entertaining description of these 
unique structures: "These houses were 
from twenty to twenty-five feet in length, 
and from ten to twelve feet in breadth, 
and one storj' high, with a chimney in 
the middle, dividing the whole space 
into two rooms, with a partition between 
them, for the use of two families, who 
united in bu^.ding the house. The fur- 
niture consisted of a few chairs, a table, 
plates and dishes, some iron utensil, it 
may be, for warming food which had 
been cooked. Besides the Bible, there 
was sometimes a book on experimental 
religion, like Baxter's Saints' Rest, or 
AUein's Alarm. On the morning of 
the sabbath, the mother of the family, 
with provident care, put up her store of 
comforts for the dinner, substantial or 
slight fare, as most convenient, a bottle 
of cider almost of course. The family 
then set off from their home in a large 
two-horse sleigh, or on saddles and 
pillions. They slopped at the sabbath- 
day house, kindled a blazing lire, and 
then went forth to shiver in the cold 
during the morning services. At noon 
they hurried back lo their warm room. 
After tliey had taken their meal, and by 
turns drunk from the pewter mug, 
thanks were returned. Then the ser- 
mon came under review, from the notes 
taken by the father of the family; or a 
chapter was read from the Bible, or 
a paragraph from some favorite author, 
the services concluding with prayer or 
singing. After again visiting the sanc- 
tuary, the family would return to the 
sabbath-day house, if the cold was severe, 
before they sought their home. The 
tire was then extinguished, the door was 
locked, and the house remained undis- 
turbed during the week." 



THE EVOLUTION OF THE TOWNS. 133 



CHAPTER XXIII. 
THE EVOLUTION OF THE TOWNS. 

IN number, the men and women who laid the foundations 
of the Connecticut and New-Haven colonies were less 
than the emigrants that are now landed at Castle Garden 
twice or thrice a week by some steamer from Liverpool or 
Hamburg. We have, however, seen that these early settlers 
were providentially the pioneers of one of the most remark- 
able emigrations that history records. The story of this emi- 
gration carries us back to England, and the struggle for 
civil and religious freedom that culminated in the Revolution 
of 1642. 

For ten years after the landing of the Pilgrims, the emi- 
gration exclusiveh' confined to Massachusetts was small. 
About 1630 the tide increased, and it is estimated that 
within the next ten years about twenty thousand persons 
came to New England. At the breaking out of the Revolu- 
tion, that gave ascendency to Puritan power in England, the 
emigration almost entireh' ceased. 

After the first companies came, and settled in the Connec- 
ticut valley, and in the neighborhood of New Haven, they 
received but few accessions by emigration. The growth of 
the population of Connecticut, for nearly two hundred years, 
was from this parent stock. The result is, that, even now, 
almost every child in the State, whose ancestors were living 
in Connecticut in the early part of this century, may trace 
its ancestry back to some one in the little handful of people 
who settled the New-Haven and Connecticut colonies. 



134 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 

The growth of the tree ilkistrates the historic development 
of the CommoDwealth. The two colonies, whose life was 
soon united, may represent the trunk, and the half-dozen 
towns that formed them the first branches, of the sturd}' sap- 
ling. As the growth of the tree develops fresh buds, and 
they form new branches, so the advancing and vigorous life 
of the early colonial towns put forth new shoots as the years 
passed by. 

Let us select the history of two or three towns, in differ- 
ent parts of the State, to illustrate this process of evolution. 

The beautiful valley that lies a few miles west of Hartford 
early attracted attention, and in 1640 some of the leading- 
families that had come in Mr. Hooker's company commenced 
a settlement upon the meadows bordering the Tunxis River. 
The land was purchased of the Indians, and divided among 
the eighty-four proprietors. The town was incorporated in 
1045 under the name of Farmington, and was about fifteen 
miles square. Since this period seven new towns have been 
taken from this territory, — Southiugton, Berlin, Bristol, 
Burlington, Avon, Plain ville, and New Britain, within wiiose 
limits has sprung up the busy and prosperous city of the 
same name. 

In 1057 some of the inhabitants from Farmington, on a 
hunting excursion, wandered away from home as far as the 
Naugatuck Valley. They here discovered what they thought 
was a mine of black-lead. They purchased the right from 
tlie Indians to work it, and the deed they received included 
the land within eight miles of the hill from which the lead 
was to be taken. This territory covered the present town- 
ships of Plymouth, Harwinton, Thomaston, Litchfield, and 
other towns. The mine did not prove a profitable invest- 
ment, and no settlement was made in the Naugatuck Valley 
until sixteen years had passed away. In 1073 the meadow- 
lands at Mattatuck (Waterbur}-) attracted the attention of 
some of tlie inhabitants of Farmington, and they asked the 



THE EVOLUTION OF THE TOWNS. 135 

Assembly to appoint a committee to view them, and report 
upon the expediency of locating a plantation there. The 
committee reported that they thought Mattatuck could sustain 
a population of thirty families. 

Sundry citizens were appointed to regulate and establish 
the settlement ; but the breaking out of King Philip's war 
retarded the work, and it was not until 1677 that the pro- 
prietors came with their families. The first site, known to 
this day as the "Town Plot," was laid out on the ridge of 
the hill, about a mile west of the present city of Waterbury. 
A building-lot of eight acres was given to each settler. The 
labor of drawing the hay from the meadows up the steep hill 
soon decided them to build in the valley ; and they chose the 
location now covered with the homes and busy industries of 
the beautiful and thriving city of Waterbury, with its thirty 
thousand inhabitants. The early settlers looked upon the 
river as only " an obstruction and peril." A recent local 
historian quaintly says, " In the result, Mattatuck, like most 
of the manufacturing towns of New England, has been 
saved, as was Noah and his family, ' by water ' rather than 
by land." 

The families that first made their home in Waterbury suf- 
fered very much for want of a grist-mill. They had to 
carry all of their corn to Farmington, a distance of twenty 
miles, to be ground. The committee appointed by the State 
granted thirty acres of land to whoever would build and keep 
up a mill. These terms were accepted by Stephen Hopkins 
of Hartford, who built a mill, in 1680, on Mill River, where 
one has stood until the present day. This matter of securing 
mill privileges caused a great deal of trouble to the frontier 
towns. The first householders of Woodbury had no flour or 
meal except what they could get from Stratford, where they 
formerly lived. Even on wedding occasions, the principal 
dishes at the dinner were bean-porridge for soup, bread 
made of pounded corn, and an enormous plate of pork and 



136 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 

beans. The first set of mill-stones brought into the place, 
about 1674, were so small that they were carried from Strat- 
ford on the back of a horse. 

The story of the settlement of the charming valley in which 
lie the villages of Woodbury and Southbury, gives another 
reason that sometimes led to the founding of new towns. 
For a long time, there had been a bitter dispute in the church 
at Stratford, over what was known as the " Halfway Cove- 
nant " system of church membership. Each party chose a 
pastor, and an effort was made to keep peace b}' dividing 
the services of the Lord's Day between them ; but this plan 
did not work well. Governor Winthrop finally advised the 
weaker party, with their pastor, the Rev. Mr. Walker, to 
choose a tract of land, and make a new plantation. This 
was in 1672. Thirteen years before this, an exploring party, 
visiting the valley of the Pomperaug, were solicited by some 
Derby Indians to purchase the adjoining country. 

The deed given at the time of purchase covered a terri- 
tory as large as Litchfield County. No use was made of the 
land until Mr. Walker's party decided to settle in the valley. 
At the May Assembly, in 1672, '' liberty to erect a planta- 
tion at Pomperoage " was granted. 

The original signers to the covenant to found a new town 
at Woodbury were but seventeen. Before they left Strat- 
ford, they adopted articles of agreement. Only as many 
persons were to be admitted to the plantation as could be 
comfortably accommodated. All public expenses, civil and 
religious, were to be l)orne in proportion to then- home-lots, 
the largest of w^hich was twenty-five acres, and the smallest 
ten. A large tract of land was set apart for the preaching 
of the gospel, and also '•" a parsell of land for y^ Incouriging 
a Schoole, y' learning may not be neglected to children." 

The first shelter of the settlers was made of evergreen 
trees ; but by the time the cold weather set in, they had built 
rude log huts. Before the winter was over, their supply 



THE EVOLUTION OF THE TOWNS. 137 

of food gave out ; and some of the men went to Stratford, a 
distance of thirty miles, with hand-sleds, and drew them 
home laden with provisions. In 1674 the town received the 
name of Woodbury. 

Another illustration of the way new settlements sprung up 
takes us into the eastern part of the State. In 1675, Joshua, 
the son of Uncas, the famous Mohegan sachem, by his last 
will, gave to Captain John Mason, and fifteen others, the 
tract containing the town of Windham, from which Mans- 
field and Canterbury were also afterwards set off. In May, 
1686, the main street of Windham was laid out, and lots 
surveyed for the proprietors. The first person who dug a 
cellar, and, with the help of his servant, raised a house, 
was Lieutenant John Cates. He held a commission under 
Cromwell ; and when Charles II. came to the throne, he fled to 
this country for safety. He first landed in \^irginia ; but 
from fear of capture, he came to Norwich, and then sought 
this retired spot. Windham was made a county-seat in 
1726. 

The formation of new towns continued until most of the 
land within the bounds of the State was taken up. That 
much of this real estate was considered of little value, is 
illustrated in the disposal that was made of the territory now 
included in the town of East Lyme. This tract was first re- 
served for the Indians ; but in time the Legislature granted 
a petition giving it to New London and Lyme, but without 
determining a dividing line. 

New Loudon proposed to take three miles in width, and 
leave one to Lyme. Lyme made a similar proposal to New 
London. Rather than be to the trouble of going to Hart- 
ford with their dispute, they agreed to settle their title to 
the land in controversy, by a wrestling-match between two 
champions to be chosen by each for this purpose. The 
victory turned in favor of Lyme, and that town held the 
controverted tract until tlie town of East Lvme was formed. 



138 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 

During the past eighty years, as the centres of popula- 
tion have ^increased, the old towns have been divided and 
subdivided, as in the case of Saybrook, from which Essex, 
Chester, Westbrook, and Old Saybrook have been set off 
since 1836. 



i 1714.1 PEKIOD OF THE LAST FRENCH W AKS. 139 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

1714-174a 

PERIOD OF THE LAST FRENCH WARS. 

THE condition of society in Connecticut at this period was 
exceptionally happ}' and prosperous. The prayer of her 
people seemed realized, '' that peace and unity might be con- 
tinued among them, and that they might have the blessings 
of the God of peace upon them." Habits of frugality and 

, industry were joined with rectitude of character, and devout 

i religious life and feeling. The affairs of the Commonwealth 
were wisely and economically conducted by tried and faith- 
ful men. Thoughtful care was taken of the unfortunate 
poor, of soldiers who had returned from captivity, and of 
others suffering from mental and physical disabilities. 

To describe the condition of Connecticut in these years, as 
Bancroft has said, " is but to enumerate the blessings of self- 

igovernment, as exercised by a community of thoughtful 
freeholders, who have neither a nobility nor a populace. 
How dearly it remembered the parent island, is told by the 
English names of its towns. Could Charles II. have looked 
back upon earth, and seen what security his gift of a charter 
had conferred, he might have gloried in an act which re- 
deemed his life from the charge of having been unproductive 
of public happiness. In a proclamation, Connecticut, under 
its great seal, told the world that its days under the charter 
were 'halcyon days of peace.' Time, as it advances, may 

I unfold scenes of more wealth and wider action, but not of 
more contentment and purit}'." 



140 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



1714, '21. 



Intelligence having been received of the death of the- 
Queen and the accession of the Elector of Hanover (George 
I.) to the English throne, Connecticut at once sent an ad- 
dress of congratulation to the new king. The prosperity of 
these days is seeii in the rapid growth of the towns and the 
increase of population.^ The occupation of the people was 
mostly agricultural, but there was considerable shipbuilding 
at different points along the Sound. Hartford, Wethers- 
field, and Middletown on the river; and Stonington, New 
London, New Haven, and other towns on the coast, — had. 




FIRST STATE HOUSE IN HARTFORD. 

(Begun in 1719; occupied in 1720.) 

vessels engaged in fishing, and carried on quite a brisk trade 
with the West Indies. A copper mine was opened in Sims- 
bury ; but, like other ventures of the kind in after-years, it 
did not prove profitable. The excavated mine at Simsbury 
was used for a long time as a State prison. 

After the adoption of the Saybrook Platform, the power 
of the clergy was increased ; and the Assembly at different 
times called attention to the state of religion in the colony, 
and the necessit}' of a more rigorous enforcement of the laws 
regarding sabbath-breaking, and the sins of lying, swearing, 
and intemperance. Some trouble was caused by a sect: 
known as Rofjerenes^ that flourished mosth' in the neighbor- 
hood of New London. While their doctrines were ob- 



1724, '27.] PERIOD OF THE LAST FRENCH WARS. 141 

noxious to their neighbors, the principal annoyance came 
through the indecencies of dress and behavior that marked 
the more than eccentric action of this peculiar people. - 
Their irregularities probably prompted the passing of a law 
by which a fine of twenty shillings was imposed upon per- 
sons absenting themselves from their ''lawful congrega- 
tion," and assembling for worship in private houses. 

Governor Saltonstall died in 1724.^ For sixteen years he 
had performed the duties of his office with vigor and ability. 
The removal of the college from Saybrook to New Haven, 
and questions of ecclesiastical order, had required rare tact 
and wisdom on his part. But 
in these matters, as well as 
those that pertained to the civil 
welfare of the colony, Governor 
Saltonstall had proved master 
of the situation. Joseph Tal- 
cott was elected as his suc- 
cessor. During his term, which 
also continued for sixteen years, 
the histor}' of Connecticut is a 
record of peaceful prosperity. 

"The general courts came and went year after year, made 
necessary and wholesome laws, kept the finances sound and 
pure, and free from the paper contagion, encouraged their 
college, looked after their rights in England, and carried on 
a steady, frugal government, which was probably one of the 
best the world has ever seen " (Lodge). 

During the administration of Talcott, new towns still con- 
tinued to be rapidly settled.'' When the order came to pro- 
claim King George II., the governor called a special session 
of the Legislature, and an address, earnest in its expressions 
of loyalty, was sent to the king.^ At the same time, the 
governor was instructed to forward to the agent of the colony 
in England a reply to a complaint, which it was understood 




GOVERNOR SALTONSTALL. 



142 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l727, '41. 

that John Winthrop, nephew of the late governor, had 
brought before the king's council. Winthrop said that he 
had been unjustly treated by the courts of the colony in 
the division of his father's estate. He claimed that the 
colonial law which allowed daughters to receive real estate in 
the distribution of the property of an intestate person, was 
in violation of the law of England. The question was one 
of grave importance to the colony, as it involved the legality 
of titles to landed property from the earliest settlement. 
The king's privy council was inclined to the opinion that the 
law of Connecticut would not hold ; and the Assembly, hav- 
ing received an order overruling the action of the courts in 
the case of Winthrop, proceeded to put him in possession 
of the land which he claimed. Connecticut would not accede 
to the decision of the privy council, although a doubt was 
thrown upon the title of property in the settlement of intes- 
tate estates. Twenty years after, the colonial law was finally 
sanctioned by a decision of the council. 

There seemed to be so much uneasiness in England over 
the possible development of industries in the colonies, that it 
was thought best for the governor to assure the Board of 
Trade that they had not " by any premium encouraged any 
manufactory in this colony." This was true at this time; 
but it was not long before liberal bounties were offered for 
the production of silk and hemp, and for manufacturing 
" canvas, duck, and fine linen cloth." During the last ses- 
sion of the Assembly in which Governor Talcott served, 
Acts for the regulation of the militia, and " for the encour- 
agement and better supporting of the schools," were passed. 

Upon the death of Governor Talcott, in 1741, Jonathan 
Law, who had been lieutenant-governor during his entire 
term of oflSce, succeeded him. The stable character of the 
people proved itself in the way they treated those whom 
they placed in positions of trust. A faithful and eflScient 
public servant was seldom removed from oflfice. 



1739, '44.] PERIOD OF THE LAST FRENCH WARS. 143^ 

The peace policy of Robert Walpole, the great English 
prime minister, gave the colony rest for many years from the 
French wars that had proved so serious a drain upon its 
resources. This condition of affairs was changed by the 
breaking out of hostilities between England and Spain in 
1739. The colonies were required to furnish four regiments 
to join the British force at Jamaica. Connecticut at once 
called for volunteers, for whom she provided transports and 
food until they arrived at the island. Of the fifteen thou- 
sand seamen and twelve thousand soldiers gathered there 
under the command of Admiral Vernon, four thousand were 
from the colonies. Thwarted in the endeavor to intercept a 
French fleet, and defeated in an attack upon Carthagena, 
they sailed for Cuba. Havana was easily taken, but the 
scourge of yellow-fever proved more terrible than any 
enem^^ Of the thousand stalwart men who had enlisted 
from New England, not one hundred returned. 

From the opening of hostilities, France had been in full 
S3^mpathy with Spain; and on the 4th of March, 1744, she 
made a formal declaration of war against England. The 
New-England colonies were thoroughly aroused at the im- 
pending sense of dangei\ The French still held Canada and 
Cape Breton, and claimed all of the vast interior region from 
the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the mouth of the Mississippi. 
If they could make this claim good, it is easy to understand 
that the colonists felt that the security of the strip of coun- 
try whidi they held along the Atlantic coast would be con- 
stantly endangered. 

Louisburg, on Cape Breton Island, at the entrance of 
the Gulf of St. Lawrence, was the strongest fortress on the 
American continent, and well termed '' the Gibraltar of 
North America." It was the central station from which the 
French privateers and men-of-war sailed, that hovered all 
along the New-England coast, and seized upon sailing and 
tradino; vessels. This was ruinous to the maritime interest* 



144 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l744. 

of the colony. Nova Scotia had come into the possession of 
the English in 1713, but this province was again threatened 
by the French. Canso was surprised and taken ; and the 
same fate probably would have overtaken Annapolis ( Port 
Royal), had it not just before been re-enforced by troops 
from Massachusetts. 

There was a common feeling throughout New England, 
that Louisburg must be captured at all hazards. Having 
waited in vain for aid from England, some of the leaders in 
military and civil affairs began to discuss the possibility of 
accomplishing this work without assistance from the -mother 
country. Governor Shirley of Massachusetts was especially 
active in these negotiations. He did all that he could to 
learn the exact condition of the fortress, and its preparation 
in case of a siege. Having urged the home government to 
send sloops-of-war to guard Annapolis, with the view of 
[)rotecting the provincial troops while besieging Louisburg, 
he then made known his plans to the General Court. The 
matter was earnestly debated for several days. All were 
agreed as to the danger that menaced the colonies as long as 
this stronghold remained in the hands of the French ; but 
the difficulties which confronted them in carrying out the 
plan suggested seemed so great, that, upon the final vote, 
the measure was lost. 

The matter before long was agitated in other quarters. 
Some of the leading merchants and most influential citizens 
petitioned the Court to revive and pass the bill. A com- 
mittee of investigation was appointed, and, after the consid- 
eration of the report, the measure was carried by a single 
vote. From this point the tide of general enthusiasm began t-3 
rise. Despatches were at once sent to the different colonies, 
soliciting their assistance. All but New England declined to 
engage in the hazardous enterprise. Connecticut immedi- 
ately proceeded to raise her quota of five hundred men. 
Roger Wolcott, the lieutenant-governor, was appointed 



1745.] PERIOD OF THE LAST FRENCH WARS. 145 

commaDder-m-chief of the Connecticut forces. Within a 
few days ample supplies were gathered, and the troops em- 
barked. Before the close of April, a gallant little army of 
four thousand New-England men, under command of Colonel 
Pepperell of Massachusetts, had arrived at Canso. Nova 
IScotia. To the great jo}' of the provincial soldiers, Commo- 
dore Warren, who, at the last moment, had been ordered by 
the home government to assist Governor Shirley in this expe- 
dition, sailed into the harbor with three ships-of-war, and 
the same day was joined by another from Portsmouth. 
Without delay the army embarked, and, under convoy of the 
fleet, sailed for Louisburg Harbor. The garrison were taken 
completely by surprise, as they saw the transports beating into 
the bay. The governor at once sent a company of his best 
troops to oppose the landing of the English. In the skirmish 
that followed, their commanding officer was taken prisoner ; 
and those who were not killed or wounded, fled, and left the 
enemy to effect an easy landing. The following morning a 
detachment of four hundred men, under cover of a range of 
hills, marched to the north-east side of the harbor, to within 
a mile of the general battery. During the progress of their 
march, they had set fire to the houses and stores along the 
way ; and the dense volume of smoke hid their movements, so 
that the enemy was at an entire loss as to their numbers and 
strength. Panic-stricken with the belief that the whole army 
was approaching, they threw their powder into a well, and 
deserted the battery. With exultant hearts the little band 
of provincial soldiers hastened forward, and took possession 
of the guns witliout the loss of a man. 

The work of reducing the fortress was still before them. 
In order to get their guns in position, they had to drag them 
a distance of two miles. A deep morass stretched part of 
the way ; and as oxen and horses sank too deep in the treach- 
erous bog to permit of their use, the men were compelled, 
under cover of the night, to drag the. heavy guns, mortars, 



146 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l745. 

and timbers to the place where they erected the temporary 
batteries. It was an herculean task, but thej' did not falter ; 
and in less than twent}' days they had prepared five fascine 
batteries. Meanwhile the fleet was not inactive. By a 
shrewd manoeuvre, the "Mermaid," a forty-four-gun ship in 
command of Captain Douglas, captured the "Vigilant," a 
French sixty-four-gun ship. The loss of this vessel with her 
abundant stores, and five hundred and sixty men, was a heavy 
blow, and hastened the final victory. Four days after the 
" Vigilant" had struck her colors, two other ships joined the 
English fleet. The garrison within the fortress was disheart- 
ened. The western gate of the town was broken down, 
and breaches were visible. The only battery that com 
manded the town, and could defend it against ships, was in 
ruins. 

On the 15th of June the oflBcers of the garrison asked for 
a cessation of hostilities, that terms of capitulation might be 
arranged. This was granted, and on the 17th of June " The 
Oiltraltar of North America " was surrendered to England. 

The provincial troops were determined to push the siege, 
although they had suffered very much from exposure and 
hardships. For their sake the final surrender came none too 
soon. It w^as a remarkable victory, and its intelligence car- 
ried joy into every New-England home. It was a terrible 
blow to the French power in North America, all the more 
disheartening and severe because it was unexpected. Of 
the five thousand colonial troops who had taken part in the 
expedition, eleven hundred were from Connecticut. 

The effect of this victory was to encourage England in 
the determination to wrest from France her provinces in the 
New World. 

France in the following year planned a campaign for the 
retaking of Louisburg and the punishment of New Eng- 
land. The large and well-equipped fleet that set sail for 
the shores of North America was scattered and disabled by 



1748.] 



PERIOD OF THE LAST FRENCH WARS. 



147 



storms ; pestilence swept away the men ; its commander and 
his successor died suddenly, and nothing was accomplished. 

It is not strange that the colonists felt that a protecting 
Providence through mysterious ways had broken the power 
of the enera}', and turned them away from their shores. In 
1748 a congress convened at Aix-la-Chapelle to consider 
terms of peace that should restore tranquillity to the dis- 
tracted nations of Europe. England once more was at peace 
with France and Spain, and their possessions in the New 
World had rest from the horrors of war for a little season. 



' At the time of the Revolution of 
1688, and the deposition of Androe, Con- 
necticut had twenty -eight towns. With- 
in thirty-seven years twenty-two were 
added; viz., Danbury (169.3), Lebanon 
(1697), Colchester and Durham (1699), 
Voluntown (1700), Mansfield and Can- 
terbury (1703), Hebron (1704), Killingly 
(1708), Coventry and Ridgefield (1709), 
Newtown (1711), East Haddam, Pomfret, 
and New Milford (1713), Ashford (1714), 
Tolland (1715), Stafford (1719), Litch- 
field (1721), Willingtou and Bolton 
(1720), and Somers (1726). In 1726 
Windham County was formed of the 
eleven towns in the north-eastern corner 
of the colony. 

- The founder of this strange sect 
was John Rogers of New London. Hold- 
ing the views of the Seventh-Day Bap- 
tists, they added notions of their own, 
both eccentric and immoral. 

3 Saltonstall, at the time he was 
elected governor, was pastor of the Con- 
gregational Church in New London. 
His close relations with Governor Fitz 
John Winthrop and other prominent 
men had given him great intiuence in 
public affairs. A born leader, and gifted 
with marked business ability, he was 
recognized as perhaps the most learned 
lawyer in the colony. Winthrop leaned 
upon him as his principal adviser, and it 
is not strange that at his death he was 
chosen his successor. Palfrey (Hist New 



Eng., vol. iv. p. 495) speaks in these terms 
of the administration of Saltonstall : "Its 
wisdom and vigor moulded the senti- 
ments of a transition period; and no 
man memorable on the bright roll of 
Connecticut worthies did more to estab- 
lish for her that character which was in- 
dicated by the name, appropriated to her 
through many generations, of ' the laud 
of steady habits.' " 

4 Between the years 1726 and 1739 
the following towns were established : 
Somers, New Fairfield, East Haddam, 
Union, Barkhamstead, Colebrook, Hart- 
land, Winchester, New Hartford, Tor- 
rington, Kent, Goshen, Canaan, Salis- 
bury, and Cornwall. 

5 It was ordered that the celebration 
which had taken place at Hartford, be 
repeated at New Haven ; " that the troops 
in the county of New Haven, five of the 
oldest foot-companies in the town of 
New Haven, and two foot-companies in 
Milford, attend that day's service; that 
a treat of thirty pounds be made for 
their refreshment; that a quarter of a 
pound of powder be delivered to each 
sentinel; that a sufficient quantity of 
powder ' be provided for discharging 
three of the great guns; . . . that the 
sheriff provide ten pounds of candles for 
illuminating the court-house; . . . and 
also, that he procure a barrel of good 
wine, at the charge of the colony, for 
refreshment of the Assembly." 



148 HLSTOKY OF CONNECTICUT. [l748. 



CHAPTER XXV. 

1748-1755. 

PERIOD OF THE LAST FRENCH WARS. 

THE peace of Aix-la-Chapelle was followed by a cessation 
of hostilities between England and France that con- 
tinned for nearly ten years. It was the brief lull before the 
breaking out of a more furious and decisive struggle for the 
control of North America. Vigorous and united in its inde- 
pendent government, Connecticut prospered abundantly. 
New towns were settled, and old ones increased in popula- 
tion and wealth. The life of the people was earnest and 
thoughtful ; and the interests of religion, morality, and edu- 
cation were nourished with jealous care. 

While peace and prosperit}' reigned within her borders, 
the people of Connecticut were fully alive to the progress of 
events that linlvcd their destiny with that of the other colo- 
nies in the struggle against the French. The military spirit 
was kept alive by the frequent gatherings of the train-bands 
for exercise ; and in almost every home-circle, there were 
those who could tell a story of personal adventure in the 
wars that had so frequently called for volunteers. From the 
settlement of the colony, a militant disposition was fostered 
1)3' necessity ; and the blood of the hardy sons of the fathers 
who first subdued the wilderness, possessed a martial strain 
that was easily stirred to heroic action. 

It was now seen that France was seeking with consummate 
skill to gain imperial power in North America. Having 



1748-54.] PERIOD OF THE LAST FRENCH AVARS. 149 

secured a firm foothold in Canada and Louisiana, the French 
claimed the whole country west of the AUeghanies. From 
the Great Lakes to the mouth of the Mississippi, they were 
busy erecting a line of forts and trading-posts, and furnish- 
ing them with materials of war. The English Government 
realized that something must l)e done to stay the progress of 
the French in their plan to hem in and confine the colonies 
to a narrow strip of country along the Atlantic coast. An 
English colony was planted in Nova Scotia ; and at the begin- 
ning of the war that soon broke out, the original French 
settlers were driven from the peninsula. The sad story of 
their exile from their Acadian homes is told by Longfellow in 
his poem of "Evangeline." 

In 1749 the city of Halifax was founded, under the direc- 
tions of Lord Halifax, then at the head of the British Board 
of Trade. A company, also of English noblemen and mer- 
chants, with some Virginia planters, formed an association 
to occupy a part of the beautiful valley of the Ohio. Al- 
ready the French governors of Louisiana and Canada had 
given orders that all English settlers and merchants should 
he driven from the valle3's of the Ohio and the Mississippi. 
The fiames of the last great struggle between these nations 
for the control of North America were kindled at several 
points. From the shores of Lake P^rie a force of twelve 
hundred men drove the English settlers from tlieir colony on 
the Ohio, and Iniilt Fort Duquesne where tlie city of Pitts- 
burg now stands. This commanding position liad been 
selected as the site of an English fort by a 3'oung Virginian 
planter, and some work had been done upon it wlien it was 
seized by the French. The same youthful officer was or- 
dered not long after to make the attempt to dislodge the 
enemy, Imt it proved a hazardous and unavailing effort. 
This was the l)eginning of the military career of George 
Washington. 

Tlie French had gained a wonderful influence over most 



150 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l754. 

of the Indian tribes, and this was a great help to them 
in carrying out their projects of conquest. Fortunately for 
the English, the powerful Iroquois tribes, who lived west 
of the Hudson River, still continued friendly to them, and 
hostile to the French. In 1754, under instructions from the 
iiome government, a convention of delegates from the colo- 
nies met at Albany to make a treaty with these friendly 
tribes, known as the " Six Nations," and to form a union 
for self-defence. The twenty-five colonial delegates first 
met a hundred and fifty Indian chiefs, and made a treaty 
with them. Then Benjamin Franklin, who had been influen- 
tial in calling the convention, proposed a plan of union. 
The Philadelphia editor and printer, who was to link his name 
and fame so closely with the new nation that was to rise in 
the near future, was successful in gaining the approval of a 
majority of the convention to his plan. 

The three representatives from Connecticut — William 
Pitkin, Roger Wolcott, and Elisha Williams — did not al- 
together favor this scheme of union, and so reported when 
they returned home. It would have been strange had they 
done so. With unfaltering determination the colony had 
always resisted every attempt to lessen the control of its 
charter government. They were more than willing to do 
their share in the common defence, but they did not pro- 
pose to give the management of their affairs into other 
hands. They were suspicious that this plan, that created 
a council with a head appointed by the crown, with power 
to make general laws, and raise money in all the colonies 
for the defence of the whole, might prove an entering- 
wedge that would finally destroy their charter government. 
More than this, they argued that the attempt to carry on 
a defensive war along so extended a frontier under the 
management of such a council as was proposed, would be 
impracticable and dangerous. The plan of union met with 
opposition in other directions, and was given up. A bill 



1755.] PERIOD OF THE LAST FRENCH WARS. 151 

was then introduced into Parliament by Lord Halifax, that 
provided for an assembly of the governors and one or two 
delegates from each colony with authority to direct the mili- 
tary force, and draw the money for their expense from Eng- 
land, which should afterwards be repaid by taxes on the 
colonists. This project met not only with the earnest pro- 
test of Connecticut, but of all the colonies. The bill was 
<lropped, but the discussion which it aroused was the stirring 
of thought and opinion that culminated in the war of the 
lie volution. 

Meanwhile the gifted Marquis of Montcalm, who was now 
governor of Canada, had united the French strongholds of 
Uuquesne at the head waters of the Ohio, of Niagara near 
Lake Ontario, and of Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain, by a 
chain of smaller forts. The British ministry saw that the 
question of uniting the colonists for their common defence, 
taxation, and control by the home government, must be de- 
ferred, and active measures taken to resist the encroachments 
of France in the great interior of America. A campaign 
was marked out ; and it was decided that an expedition in 
command of General Braddock should march against Fort 
Duquesne, while another should make an attack upon Crown 
Point. Efforts at the same time were to be made to wrest 
Niagara from the enemy. About the middle of January, 
General Braddock embarked for Virginia with fifteen hundred 
troops. In the early spring, the governors of the colonies met 
the English general in council, and it was agreed that the 
campaign against the French should be earnestly sustained. 

The ill-fated attack of Braddock upon Fort Duquesne, in 
wliich he was slain, and the remnant of his little army saved 
from utter destruction by the skill of his 3'Oung staff-officer, 
Colonel Washington, caused great excitement, both in Eng- 
?.and and the colonies. This crushing defeat was the work 
of Indian allies, and taught the British that warfare on 
American soil was very different from that upon the open 



152 



HISTORY OF (CONNECTICUT. 



[1755. 



battle-fields of Europe. The French, elated with this vic- 
tory, were now in possession of all the region west of the 
Alleghanies ; and scenes of massacre and pillage filled the 
hearts of man}' with dismay and fear. The colonists dreaded 
the horrible tactics of Indian warfare, and the influence the 
French had gained over them, more than all else. 

Preparations had already been made to push the campaign 
against the enemy in their stronghold on Lake Champlain. 




W) 100 20O a»o 

THE FRENCH WAR. 



Connecticut raised a thousand men to join the provincial 
army that was to proceed to Crown Point, and the governor 
was authorized to enlist five hundred more troops if they 
were needed. "William Johnson of New Tork was made 
commander-in-chief of the army ; and the New-England 
troops were placed in command of Phineas Lyman of Con- 
necticut, who had been appointed major-general. Before 
the end of June an army of six thousand men was gathered 
at Albany, together with a large body of ^^Johawk Indians, 
under Hendriek their sachem. 



1755.] ]*ERIOD OF THE LAST FRENCH WARS. 15B 

General Lyman, with the main part of the troops, marched 
along the banks of the Hudson, as far as the •' carrying- 
place," fourteen miles south of Lake George. Six weeks 
were consumed in building a rude fort at this point to pro- 
tect the military stores, and provide a safe place of retreat 
if the army was compelled to fall back. It was late in 
August before an advance was made to Lake George. 
Before they were scarcely settled in their new camp, Indian 
runners brought tidings that the enem}' in large numbers was 
advancing from Ticonderoga, by South Bay, to Fort Edward. 
This important post was held by five hundred troops from 
New York and New Hampshire. Word was sent to them of 
their danger. AVhile on the alert, awaiting the movements 
of the enemy, a courier brought news to General Johnson 
that they were on the march, and within a few miles of 
Fort Edward. It was decided at once to send a thousand 
men, under the command of Colonel Williams of Massachu- 
setts, and Colonel Whiting of Connecticut, with the Mohawk 
warriors, to intercept the enemy. 

It was the design of Dieskau to march against Fort Ed- 
ward ; but the guides took a false route, and he found after 
a four days' march that they were on the road to Lake 
George. His Indian allies refused to attack the fort, but 
were willing to go against the army at the lake, whom 
they supposed were without artillery or defences. Mean- 
while the troops in command of Colonel Williams had 
marched but a short distance, in the early morning, on their 
way to relieve Fort Edward, when they were discovered by 
the French scouts. Dieskau at once ordered his entire force 
to lie in ambush, and surround them. Even the wary Mo- 
hawks were caught in the snare, and did not suspect the pres- 
ence of the enemy until a flame of deadly fire burst from 
the muskets hidden in the forest thickets. Colonel Wil- 
liams, Hendrick the Mohawk chief, and other brave officers 
and men, were killed upon the spot. 



154 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l755. 

With great presence of mind, Nathan Whiting of New 
Haven, the next officer in command, rallied the panic- 
stricken troops. Among the most efficient of his aids was 
Israel Putnam, 'who had recently received a commission of 
lieutenant from the Legislature of Connecticut. The first 
fatal volley of musketry had been heard at the camp, and 
the preparations for defence were hastened. Two or three 
cannon were drawn up from the shore of the lake. The 
wagons and baggage were placed inside a rude breastwork 
of trees. As the retreating companies came into the camp, 
they took the strongest position they could, and waited the 
onset of the enemy. It had been the purpose of Dieskau 
to rush forward, and open fire as soon as possible. The 
cowardice of his Iroquois allies delayed the attack. It 
was about noon when the battle commenced. Johnson 
was slightly wounded early in the action, and the chief 
command fell upon Lyman. Under his directions " the New- 
England people kept up the most violent fire that had as 
yet been known in America." 

No sooner did the enemy begin to retreat, than the English 
leaped over their breastworks, and pursued them on every 
side. Of the two thousand men in the attacking force, 
seven hundred lay dead upon the field. Nearly all of the 
French regulars perished. Dieskau was discovered danger- 
ously wounded, a short distance from the camp, and while 
attempting to get his watch, was again shot, by a soldier 
who thought he was reaching for his pistol. The unfortunate 
officer was carried to England as a prisoner-of-war, and was 
afterwards liberated, but never fully recovered from his 
wounds. 

The victory gained upon the shores of Lake George en- 
couraged the northern colonies to respond to the call that 
had alread}^ been made for re-enforcements. Connecticut 
raised two regiments, and sent them forward at once. She 
now had between two and three thousand men in active 



1755.] PERIOD OF THE LAST EKENCH WAKS. 155 

service. Johusoa proved unequal to the opportunity. Afraid 
of a sudden attack of the enemy, he allowed them to in- 
trench themselves at Ticonderoga. While re-enforcements 
poured in from New England eager to advance, he busied 
the troops in building Fort William Henry, near Lake George. 
The autumn passed without any forward movement ; and 
when winter set in, the Connecticut militia returned home. 
In recognition of his services, General Johnson was made a 
baronet, and Parliament voted him five thousand pounds ; 
wliile the brave and gifted General L3'man,' who had really 
saved the da}- at Lake George, received no reward. 

Governor Shirley, at the head of the expedition against 
Niagara, did not get beyond Oswego. The news of the 
'defeat of Braddock led so many of his boatmen to desert, 
that he was unable to transport his soldiers and material 
of war aci-oss the lake. Having erected two small forts 
•commanding the entrance of the harbor, he left a force of 
seven hundred men to garrison them, and with the rest of 
his army returned to Albany. Thus far the chain of French 
fortresses had not been broken at a single point; and, owing 
to a lack of vigorous action and co-operation on the part of 
the southern colonies, their borders had been the scene of 
many cruel massacres. 

1 Israel Putnam was born January purchased by the State and made a 

7, 1718, in Salem Village, now Danvers, public park, won for Putnam an early 

Mass. About 1739 he removed to Con- reputation for undaunted pluck and 

necticut, having purchased land in Pom- courage. The incident occurred in the 

fret, where he made his lifelong home. winter of 1742-43. The story of the 

The capture of the wolf in the wolf-hunt found a place in the early 

rocky den in Pomfret, which, with some school readers, and some of the pictures 

of the surrounding land, has been which illustrated it are very guaint. 

2 Phineas Lyman was bom in Dur- England, seeking to get a tract of land 

ham in 1716. After graduating at Yale along the Mississippi from the govem- 

College, he was admitted to the bar. As ment. A tract in the vicinity of Natchez 

commander-in-chief of the Connecticut was granted to the company of which 

forces in the French war, he proved him- he was agent, in 1774. He took over a 

self a brave and capable military leader. company of emigrants, but died, soon 

In 1762 he was at the head of the colo- after reaching this country, in West 

nial troops in the expedition against Florida. 
Havana. From 1763 to 1774 he was in 



156 H18TOilY OF C0N:NECT1CUT. [1756. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

1756-1757. 

PERIOD OF THE LAST FRENCH WARS. 

BOTH France and England realized that the struggle upon 
which they had again entered would be slmrp and de- 
cisive. Formal declaration of war was made in the spring 
of 1756. Previous to this the colonial governors had met 
at New York, and marked out a vigorous campaign. It was 
decided to raise a larger army than before, and renew the 
attack upon Crown Point and Niagara, while the southern 
colonies were to make another attempt to seize Fort Du- 
quesne. The colonists were encouraged by the evident de- 
termination of the home government to give them a larger 
measure of aid. 

The Earl 'of Loudon was sent to take the command-in- 
chief of the arm}^ while acting as governor of Virginia. 
Governor Shirley was removed, and General Abercrombie 
appointed in his place. With her usual enthusiasm, Con- 
necticut responded with double the number of men called 
for ; and two thousand well-equipped troops were soon ready 
and eager for action. 

The campaign that opened with every promise of success 
proved a failure through the culpable inefficiency of tlie Eng- 
lish commanders. Abercrombie did not reach Albany until 
midsummer, and even then the army of ten thousand men 
gathered there remained inactive. Tidings came that Fort 
Oswego was besieged by Montcalm ; but relief was not 



1757.] PERIOD OF THE LAST FRENCH WARS. 157 

sent iu time to save it from the French, who secured not 
only a large supply of military stores, but took sixteen hun- 
lUed prisoners-of-war. General Wiuslow, with seven thou- 
sand men, had proceeded to Lake George, impatient and 
anxious to march against Ticonderoga and Crown Point. 
There is little doubt that the colonial general could have 
taken these fortresses had the British officers allowed him to 
advance. Orders were given, however, by the Earl of Lou- 
don, that the campaign should be pushed no farther for the 
season ; and most of the provincial army returned home to 
spend the winter. The discussions around the firesides of 
Connecticut homes in these days were far from complimen- 
tary to British valor and generalship. The feeling was strong 
that it would be better to stay at home, and abandon the 
campaign, if all their sacrifice and effort were to come to 
naught by the stupid interference of titled incompetency. 

The humiliation of this worse than fruitless campaign was 
keenly felt in England, and every preparation was made to 
prosecute the war with vigor as soon as the spring opened. 
Jn May a fleet of fifty transports, with six thousand regular 
troops on board, sailed from Cork for America. This fleet, 
with eleven ships of the line, arrived at Halifax early in 
fluly. The colonies had already raised their quota of soldiers, 
and Connecticut was prepared to send double the number of 
men required of her. The disappointment was wide-spread 
when it became known that the chief object of the expedi- 
tion that demanded the aid of the colonial troops, was the 
capture of Louisburg. Even this plan was finally given up, 
for the delay of the English commanders enabled the French 
to re-enforce this stronghold with almost as many soldiers as 
the British could lead against it. 

The withdrawal of troops from the vicinity of Lake George 
gave an opportunity for an aggressive movement against 
Fort William Henry, that Montcalm hastened to seize. The 
English general. Webb, whose halting, timorous spirit had 



158 HISTOKY OF CONNECTICUT. [l757. 

been shown in the campaign of the previous year, was still 
in command of the colonial and regular forces, having head- 
quarters at Fort Edward. 

A few days before Montcalm reached Lake George, with; 
an army of about eight thousand men. General Webb ordered: 
Major Israel Putnam of Connecticut, with two hundred men, 
to escort him to Fort William Henry. This 3'oung officer 
already gave promise of a distinguished career, and had 
received at the last session of the Assembly a gratuity of 
fifty Spanish milled dollars for extraordinary service and. 
good conduct " in ranging and scouting " in the vicinitv of 
Crown Point. The English general did not suspect the- , 
approach of the enemy, or he would hardly have allowed' i 
Putnam to go down the lake to learn what he could of the j 
condition of things at Ticonderoga. With three whale- 
boats manned by eighteen volunteers, the fearless colonial, 
major proceeded up the lake until he discovered a party of j 
men on an island. Quietly leaving two of the boats to fish ' 
at a safe distance, he hastened back to the fort with the 
tidings. The general was in a tremor of excitement, and it 
was only after the most earnest pleading that he allowed! 
Putnam to return for his companions. Passing the spot 
where the men were still fishing, as if no other business was 
on hand, he pushed still farther on, and by the aid of his. 
field-glass saw a large army in motion upon the shore of 
North-west Bay. While intently watching their movements, 
several canoes filled with Indians had come near enough to 
discharge their arrows. Not until these shafts were flying 
thick about him did Putnam dash through the midst of them, 
and, with the now alert fishing-party, return to the camp. 
It was evident that the enemy were marching upon Fort 
William Henry. General AVebb at once prepared to return 
to Fort Edward. 

" I hope your excellency does not intend to neglect sO' 
fair an opportunity of giving battle should the enemy pre- 



1757.] PERIOD OF THE LAST FKENCH WARS. 15^ 

sume to land," said Major Putnam, who believed that an 
easy victory could be won, if the troops were concentrated 
at the fort. " What do you think we should do here? " was 
the reply of the dismayed English general. The following 
day General Webb returned to headquarters, and sent 
Colonel Moore with his regiment to re-enforce the garrison. 
A few hours after their arrival, Montcalm landed his troops, 
and opened the siege. Monroe sent messenger after mes- 
senger to Fort Edward, asking for assistance. The force 
under General Webb was increased by the arrival of Sir 
William Johnson with his troops, but he did nothing for the 
relief of the beleaguered fort. Putnam and Johnson urged 
the frightened and irresolute general to allow them to go to 
the aid of Monroe. 

Permission was finall}' granted ; and the provincials, with 
Putnam's rangers, started with glad hearts to relieve the 
garrison. They had advanced about three miles when a 
messenger overtook them, with orders to return to Fort 
Edward. Already an Indian scout had carried word to 
Montcalm that a large body of troops were on the way to 
re-enforce the garrison. The French general at once pre- 
pared to raise the siege ; but when he learned that for some 
reason the re-enforcements had turned back, he renewed the 
attack with fresh vigor. Colonel Monroe, who had fought 
bravely in hope of receiving aid from day to day, saw that 
he could not hold out longer ; and having received a letter, 
advising him to surrender, from the inefficient, if not cow- 
ardly, officer, who might so easily have relieved him, he made 
the best terms possible with the enemy. 

The treaty was in every respect favorable, but it was 
violated in the most horrible manner. The Indians who 
fought under Montcalm stripped the English of every article 
of personal property they could lay their hands upon. But 
they were not satisfied with pillage, and with savage atro- 
city began an indiscriminate massacre of men, women, and 



160 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l757. 

children, the incideuts of which are horrible in the extreme, j 
While the P^nglish fled towards Fort Edward, the blood- i 
thirsty savages followed them, until they were finally driven 
off by the soldiers of Montcalm. As we read the terrible 
story of the massacre of Fort William Henry, our indigna- 
tion is kindled against the weak and incompetent general, 
who might so easily have saved from defeat the brave men 
within the garrison, and rescued the helpless women and 
children from the tomahawk of savages. 

The surrender and massacre upon the shore of Lake 
George carried sorrow into every part of the northern col- 
onies. The feeling against the English officers was in- 
creased ; but they realized the threatening danger, and were 
determined to stay the further advance of Montcalm. Con- 
necticut, in a few da3's, raised, and sent into the field, five 
thousand men, in addition to those she had already fur- 
nished. The English army at Albany and Fort Edward 
soon numbered some twentj' thousand men. With this 
army, and the large body of provincials that were ready for 
action, Webb accomplished nothing. 



1758.J PERIOD OF THE LAST FllENCH WARS. 161 



N 



CHAPTER XXVII. 

1758. 

PERIOD OF THE LAST FRENCH WARS. 

OT only in North America, but elsewhere, disaster and 
defeat had overtaken the armies of England in the 
struggle with P^rauce. It was a dark hour, but the genius 
of a single man was soon to bring about a turn in the tide of 
affairs that proved the ability of Great Britain to regain and 
hold a victorious position under wise guidance. The quali- 
ties that caused the royal and aristocratic class to dislike 
William Pitt, made him the idol of the people. Uncorrupti- 
ble and fearless, his far-reaching mind grasped the situation ; 
and his patriotic spirit and indomitable energy aroused a 
public feeling that enabled him to rescue England from the 
perilous condition into which the nation had fallen, through 
the weakness of those who had the direction of civil and 
military affairs. 

" I want to call England," he said, as he entered upon 
office, " out of that enervate state in which twenty thousand 
men from France can shake her." With joy the people 
recognized the voice of a true leader, and met his call with 
eager response. One of the first of his oflflcial acts was to 
remove the incompetent Earl of Loudon. The same ship 
that brought word of this welcome change, carried letters 
from Mr. Pitt to the colonies. 

The letter addressed to Connecticut was read at a special 
meetinii of the Assembly called at New Haven on the <*^th of 



162 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [MbB. 

March, 1758. Its words were admirably fitted to stir the 
hearts of the libert^^-loving aud strong-willed men who lis- 
tened to it. They were in full sympath}- with the spirit that 
animated its sentiments, and the address aroused intense 
enthusiasm. The suggestion was made in the letter, that the 
New-England colonies, together with New York and New 
Jersey, should raise twenty thousand men. Connecticut had 
already been over-generous in giving of her life and treasure, 
but this call was answered by a vote to raise five thousand 
men, — one-quarter of the whole number asked for. Boun- 
ties were offered to every volunteer, and provision was made 
for the equipment and supply of this large body of troops. 

In Februar}' a British fleet sailed for Halifax, consisting 
of one hundred and fifty-seven sail, and fourteen thousand 
soldiers. On the 28th of May they left Halifax for Louis- 
burg, and dropped anchor in that harbor on the 2d of June. 
Admiral Boscawen was in charge of the fleet, and General 
Amherst was in command of the land forces. After a siege 
that continued until the last of Juh', the garrison of five 
thousand men was surrendered, with all its munitions of war. 
While these events were in progress, the troops from Con- 
necticut and other colonies had joined the arm\' under 
General Abercrombie, and were eager to march against 
Ticonderoga. 

On the fifth day of July, nearly sixteen thousand men, the 
best-equipped army that had thus far been gathered in Amer- 
ica, embarked at the southern landing of Lake George, and in 
the evening rested at Sabbath-day Point. An hour before 
midnight they again started on the march for Ticonderoga. 
Their guides proved inefficient ; and the columns marched as 
well as they could, with confused and broken ranks, through 
the thick underbrush. They had proceeded about two miles, 
when the right centre, led by the gallant Lord Howe, acci- 
dentally met the advanced guard of the French, who, in at- 
tempting to get back into their own cnmp, hnd lost their way. 



1758.] PEKIOD OF THE LAST FRENCH WARS. 16S 

They at once opened fire upon the English ranks, although 
they numbered but a handful of three hundred men. Lord 
Howe, against the advice of Major Putnam, who stood by 
his side, pushed eagerly forward. He was shot at the ver}- 
beginning of the skirmish, and expired immediately. The 
British regulars, unaccustomed to fighting in the woods, and 
disma3'ed by the death of their leader; might have been 
routed but for the prompt and cool action of Putnam and other 
colonial officers, who rallied their men, and soon put the 
enemy to flight. The death of Lord Howe was universall}^ 
lamented. He had won the esteem and affection of the 
colonial soldiers by his affable and courteous manners, and 
gamed their confidence as a brave and able oflBcer. 

Havmg spent the following night in the forest, Abercrom- 
bie in the morning ordered the troops to return to the land- 
nig- place. The next day he sent his chief engineer to 
reconnoitre the French lines. He reported, contrary to the 
judgment of several of the New-England officers, that their 
works were of flimsy construction. Abercrombie decided to 
make another movement forward, and storm the fort that 
very day. Halting, himself, at a spot about two miles from 
Ticonderoga, his brave and impatient troops hurried towards 
the fort. The retreat to the lake-shore, after the skirmish in 
which Lord Howe was killed, had given Montcalm every 
opportunity to intrench his forces to the best advantage. 

Abercrombie, with a strange ignorance of the situation, 
had left his artillery at the shore of the lake, and pushed 
forward his infantry, with the regulars at the front. With 
fixed bayonets the English attempted to rush through the 
lines of the enemy. The French opened with a murderous 
fire that swept away platoon after platoon of the English, 
while they were almost entirely protected by their intrench- 
ments, and the screen of fallen trees. 

The colonial troops might have been effectively used, could 
they have been permitted to follow tactics to which they 



164 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l758. 

were accustomed : as it was, the Connecticut troops did val- 
orous duty as sharp-shooters ; and Major Putnam, who acted 
as aid, showed both skill and discretiou. After heavy losses, 
that numbered many of the sons of Connecticut, the army 
withdrew to a safe distance. Putnam and other officers 
urged Abercrombie, who still remained at a safe distance, to 
bring forward his artillery, and make another attack ; but, 
instead of attempting any further effort, he beat a hasty 
retreat. The contempt and indignation of the provincial 
army was more deeply stirred than ever against the incom- 
petent general at their head. In the familiar talk of the 
camp, he was seldom mentioned bj' the name of General 
Abercrombie, but was spoken of as '' Mrs. Nabbycrombie." 
The capture of Fort Frontenac b^' Colonel Bradstreet of 
Massachusetts, the surrender of Fort Duquesne to General 
Forbes, and the splendid achievements of Amherst and 
Wolfe at Louisburg, only strengthened the conviction of these 
brave men, that, but for the incompetence of their general, 
victor}', and not defeat, would have crowned their efforts. 

In the month of August, Major Rogers and Major Put- 
nam, with six hundred men, were sent on a scouting expedi- 
tion to the vicinity of Ticonderoga. Finding that the French 
were aware of their movements, they decided to return to 
Fort Edward. The first night they pitched their camp on 
the banks of the Clear River. The following morning. 
Major Rogers foolishly tested his capacit}' as a good marks- 
man by indulging in a shooting-match with an English officer. 
As Putnam predicted, the firing gave the enemy knowledge 
of their camping-place. Five hundred men in command of 
Marin, the famous French scout, lay in ambuscade a short 
distance away, and fell upon the right division of the Eng- 
lish soon after they had commenced their march. Putnam 
quickly rallied his men for the attack, and the Connecticut 
soldiers fought bravely. Rogers, whose indiscretion had 
brought them into danger, kept at a safe distance. In the 



1758.] PERIOD OF THE LAST FRENCH WARS. 165 

midst of the fight, an Indian rushed towards Putnam, whoso 
musket missed fire. Springing upon him with uplifted tom- 
ahawk, the athletic warrior, with frenzied strength, made 
him prisoner, and bound him fast to a tree. For a time he 
was exposed to the fire of both parties ; at last, after escaping 
injury from the bullets, some of which passed through the 
sleeves and skirts of his coat, he was approached by a young 
Indian brave, who amused himself by hurling a tomahawk 
as near his head as possible without hitting it. A French 
officer came up, and pointed a musket at his heart ; but it 
missed fire. Putnam claimed protection as a captive, but the 
only answer of the brutal soldier was a blow upon the mouth 
with the heav}- end of his gun. 

The enemy finally retreated ; and Putnam, stripped of his 
clothing, and loaded with packs, was forced to march over 
the rough paths for many miles without halting. Every out- 
rage that Indian cruelty could devise, added to his suffering ; 
and he carried through life the scar of atomahavrk-blow given 
without provocation. After several days, the Indians made 
a halt ; and Putnam soon suspected their purpose. Stripping 
him of the few articles of Indian dress that had been given 
him in place of his own, they bound him fast to a tree, and 
piled dry branches about him in a circle. With horrible 
incantations they completed their preparations, and then set 
fire to the brush. A sudden shower extinguished it. Again 
it was kindled ; and as the fire touched the quivering flesh, 
the Indians gave wild yells of delight. With thoughts of 
loved ones whom he would never meet again, and the solemn 
realities of the life upon which he was about to enter, he be- 
came insensible to pain, and calmly waited the end. But his 
earthly work was not yet done. Guided by the cries of the 
savage band, Marin, the leader of the French and Indian 
scouts, rushed through the circle of flame, and unbound the 
half -dead captive. 

He was taken to Ticonderoga, where he had an interview 



166 HISTORY OF CONNECTrOUT. [l758, 

with Montcalm, who ordered hhn to be sent to Montreal. 
The capture of Fort Frontenac led to an exchange of pris- 
oners, and Putnam was set at liberty. Upon the pages of 
the colonial records of Connecticut, there is a " Memorial of 
Israel Putnam of Pomfret," setting forth, that being taken 
prisoner, and carried to Canada, he suffered much hardship, 
and was obliged to spend about sixty guineas for his neces- 
sary support, and asking that this sum be refunded him. In 
answer to this petition, the Assembly ordered that seventy 
pounds lawful money be paid the said Putnam. But this 
brave officer was not the onl}^ one whose story is full of 
romantic interest and hairbreadth escapes. It was in the 
stress of these severe experiences that men were being 
trained to fight the battles that should win the independence 
of a new nation. 



1759. 1 JfEKiUD OF THE LAST FfiENGH WAKS. 167 



chaptp:r XXVIII. 

1759-1763. 
PERIOD OF THE LAST FRENCH WARS. 

THE repulse of Abercrombie by Montcalm at Ticonderoga 
was a great disappointment. The colonies that had re- 
sponded so generously in the supply of men and material 
for the campaign, again felt that all of their efforts had 
been frustrated by the incompetence of the English general. 
The energetic policy and wise guidance of Pitt did not fail 
elsewhere. The capture of Louisburg had given control of 
the whole province of Cape Breton ; and George Washing- 
ton, at the head of a gallant company of colonial soldiers, 
from Pennsylvania and Virginia, had taken Fort Duquesne. 

Encouraged by these victories, Pitt decided upon an ag- 
gressive campaign, that, if successful, would expel the French 
from Canada, and the country about the great lakes. When 
the General Assembly of Connecticut met, on the 8th of 
March, 1759, a letter was read from the British prime 
minister, in which, with his accustomed frankness and elo- 
quence, he unfolded his plans, and asked their assistance. 
There was no lack of loyal and hearty response to this 
letter, but mau}^ thought it would be impossible to raise and 
equip the number of soldiers called for. The ranks of the 
strong men who had already gone forth from the colony had 
been sadly depleted by death, and others were no longer fit 
for service. The burden of debt was falling with crushing 
weight upon the people. It was necessary to send five thou- 



168 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l759. 

sand soldiers into the field, if they did all that Pitt asked of 
them. The words of any other man would have aroused 
but little response : as it was, many felt the demand laid 
upon them was beyond the resources of the colony. The 
earnest plea of Governor Fitch finally overcame every objec- 
tion ; and the Assembly, at its meeting in May, decided to 
levy the full number of troops. 

By the end of May the provincial army had joined the 
forces of General Amherst at Albany. In July the English 
general began the march towards Crown Point, over ground 
that was sadly familiar to the Connecticut troops. Mont- 
calm realized that it would not now do for him to run great 
risks at any distance from Quebec, the stronghold of the 
French power. A handful of men might repulse a general 
like Abercrombie, but he knew that Amherst was an officer 
worthy to lead the brave men who were anxious to wipe 
out the record of past incompetence and defeat. Follow- 
ing the orders of Montcalm, the French troops did not op- 
pose the march of the English, but withdrew behind the 
fortifications of Ticonderoga. After a brief cannonade, that 
did but little execution, the enemy blew up their magazine, 
and retired to Crown Point. General Amherst at once sent 
forward his light rangers in pursuit ; and without making any 
resistance, the English troops were permitted to take posses- 
sion. The French, however, were unwilling to leave the 
country. Thirty-five hundred men strongly fortified Isle- 
aux-Noix, and four large armed vessels were on Lake Cham- 
plain. General Amherst did not think it safe to advance 
towards Quebec until the enemy were driven from the lake. 
Under his direction, Captain Loring built a sloop of sixteen 
guns, and a large raft to carry six cannon. Meanwhile the 
army was busily employed in repairing the forts at Ticon- 
deroga and Crown Point. It was a summer of fatiguing 
work for the Connecticut troops ; but they endured it with 
brave hearts, thankful that at list they had won the strong- 



1759.J PERIOD OF THE LAST FRENCH WARS. 169 

holds of the enemy. After the sloop and raft were launched, 
an attack was made upon the French ships, and two of them 
destroyed. One of the prominent actors in this enterprise 
was Israel Putnam, now lieutenant-colonel of the Fourth 
Connecticut Regiment. 

While these almost bloodless victories were l)eing won, 
Fort Niagara was besieged and taken b}' Sir William John- 
son. But the great and final triumph of this remarkable 
campaign was the capture of Quebec. An expedition under 
General Wolfe, a young soldier of thirty-three years, whose 
genius Pitt had discerned, entered the St. Lawrence, and 
anchored below the city. Unable to draw Montcalm from 
the inaccessible heights bordering the river, it seemed as if 
there was nothing for him to do but to retire, and leave the 
country in the enemy's hands. He had learned of a narrow 
path by which it was possible to reach the summit of the 
Heights of Abraham, overlooking Quebec. In the silence 
and darkness of the night, the long line of boats dropped 
down the river, to the spot where this narrow path was to be 
found. As the boat bearing Wolfe and other officers moved 
along the stream, in the solemn hush of the hour, he repeated 
the stanzas of Gray's " Elegy in a Country Churchj-ard," 
and as lie closed, quietly said, '' I would rather be the author 
of that poem than take Quebec." 

At the head of his brave soldiers he guided the way up 
the narrow patli, where two men could not go abreast. The 
morning found them upon the heights. Montcalm, with rash 
courage, made an attack, which the English easily repulsed. 
Wolfe ordered a charge against the French lines. While 
leading his men in this onset, and at the very moment of vic- 
tory, a ball pierced his breast, and he fell mortally wounded. 
'^ They run," said the officer who held the dying general in 
his arms. "Who run?" he faintly asked. When told it 
was the French, he replied, " Then, I die happy." 

The capture of Quebec, and the submission of Canada 



170 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



[1760. 



after Montreal was taken by Amherst in 1760, effectually^ 
broke the power of France in America. In the campaign 
of 1760, Connecticut again furnished her full number of five 
thousand men. The glad tidings of victories that made the 
year 1759 memorable in English history, infused new courage 
into the hearts of the colonists. Among the heroic sons of 
Connecticut who were with Amherst when Montreal sur- 
rendered, we find the names of Major-General Phineas 
Lyman; Colonels, Nathan" Whiting, David Wooster,^ and 

Eleazer Fitch ; Lieutenant-Colo- 
nels, Nathan Payson, Joseph 
Spencer, James Smedley, and 
Israel Putnam. 

The characteristic courage and 
genius of Putnam found oppor- 
tunity to do good service. After 
Amherst had entered the St. 
Lawrence from Lake Ontario, 
he found two armed vessels pre- 
pared to contest his passage. 
The English were in open boats, 
and the channel was so narrow 
that they would have been ex- 
posed to a deadly fire in attempt- 
ing to pass the French ships. Putnam, with a thousand men, 
undertook to get them out of the way. With a picked crew 
of old comrades, he led the long line of boats. A beetle and 
some wedges were the strange weapons that he proposed to 
use in fastening the rudders of the French vessels, and ren- 
dering them useless. By his orders, the men were stripped 
naked to their waists ; and as they silently, but with sinewy 
strength, rowed their boats near the ships, the commander 
of one, in his alarm, ran it aground, and the other struck 
her colors without firing a gun. 

The vray was now clear until they reached Isle Royal, 




GENERAL DAVIU WOOSTER. 



1761.] PERIOD OF THE LAST FRENCH WARS. 171 

where the river was coinniandecl by a fortress of consider- 
able strength. While the English general was undecided as 
to the best plan of attack, Putnam made a suggestion that 
was at once acted upon. As usual, it involved great risk on 
his own part. A number of boats were fitted with a net- 
work of stout sticks on each side, that were bullet-proof, 
and afforded a screen for the men within. A plank, twenty 
feet in length, was provided for each boat, and fixed so that 
it could be raised or lowered with ropes. This was to serve 
as a sort of scaling-ladder, when the boats were run against 
the sides of the rude earth and wood works of the fortress, 
that was close to the water. As soon as his preparations 
were completed, Putnam at once advanced ; but in this case, 
the very novelty of the attack struck terror to the hearts of 
the enemy, and they surrendered without the slightest re- 
sistance. The occupation of Montreal by General Amherst, 
early in September, was the virtual conquest of Canada. 
Days of public thanksgiving were celebrated throughout 
New England, and Connecticut sent congratulations to his 
Majesty on the various triumphs of British valor. 

The war was not yet over. In the spring of 1761 Pitt 
asked for two-thirds the number of men that Connecticut 
had furnished in the previous year. The main purpose of 
this campaign was to put in order all of the forts and mili- 
tary posts that had fallen into the hands of the English. 
The service was arduous, if not dangerous, and was cheer- 
fully performed. At the close of the campaign of 1761, 
most of the regulars, with a large body of provincial troops, 
embarked for the West Indies, where they were met by a 
fleet from Great Britain. One thousand men were from 
Connecticut, in command of General L3'mau, and next under 
him was Lieutenant-Colonel Putnam. The transport that 
carried Putnam, with five hundred men, was overtaken by a 
storm that drove them upon the rocks off the coast of Cuba. 
By means of a rude raft, the men were safely landed. 



172 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l763. 

After the storm had abated, they were taken on board an- 
other vessel, and carried to Havana. The climate proved 
more fatal than the dangers of ambuscade and battle. Only 
a little remnant of the brave men who had come from 
Connecticut liv^ed to return. 

With the peace of 1763 the last of the French wars came 
to an end. Connecticut, in proportion to her population, 
had furnished more men, and given of her treasure more 
freely, than any other colony. 

The eight 3'ears in which this struggle was prolonged 
proved a school of stern discipline, that was to prepare for 
a oreater conflict in the near future. 



• David Wooster was horn at Strat- oga early in 1775, and the same year he 
ford. 1711, and graduated at Yale Col- was appointed brigadier-general in the 
lege in 1738. He was captain of a sloop- Continental Array. He succeeded Mont- 
of-war at the siege of LouisLurg, and goraery in Canada, and was mortally 
was a brigadier-general in the campaign wounded at Ridgelield, in a skirmish 
of 1758-60. He was one of the first to with Tryon, after the burning of Dan- 
suggest the expedition against Ticouder- bury. 



1764.1 THE STORY OF THE STAMP ACT. 173 



CHAPTER XXIX. 

1764-1765. 

THE STORY OF THE STAMP ACT. 

THE war of the Revolution was not a sudden uprising. 
The causes that finally led the colonies to take up arms 
ao^aiust the mother country, ma}' be traced l)ack to their 
early history. It was the struggle of a liberty-lovnig people 
against the tyranny that sought to dictate and govern them 
without regard to their consent or will. At the close of the 
French war, the loyalty of the colonies to the mother 
country was still strong in sentiment and feeling. Had the 
policy and views of Pitt prevailed in the councils of Great 
Britain, this might have continued. He was wise enough to 
see that a people who had contended so vigorously for their 
rio'hts in times of weakness, would not submit to arbitrary 
control now that they were conscious of their growing 
strength. 

The accession of George III. placed a king upon the Eng- 
lish throne who had neither the wisdom nor desire to follow 
the advice of the great statesman of whose power he was 
jealous. He determined to impress upon the colonists a 
sense of dependence upon the royal will, and enforce a 
system of direct taxation. King George and his advisers 
claimed that it was no more than just that America should 
be taxed to pay a portion of the enormous debt that had 
been partly incurred in the defence of the colonies. But this 
plea was only a pretext for carrying out plans that would 



174 



HISTOBY OF CONNECTICUT. 



[1764. 



have destroyed their independent existence, and placed all of 
their interests at the mercy of the king and his connsellors. 
The colonists did not object to raising money to be used for 
the common welfare, but they were unwilling to be taxed by 
a Parliament in which they had no direct representation. 

It was in the spring of 1764 that Lord Grenville brought 
before the House of Commons a plan of taxing the colonies. 
The House advised the passage of an Act requiring that all 
deeds, receipts, and other legal documents, should be written 




FIRST STATE HOUSE IN NEW HAVEN. 

(Begun in 1763; occupied in 1764.) 

or printed on stamped paper ; this paper to be sold by tax- 
collectors, and the money to be paid into the royal treasury. 
King George, and many prominent leaders in official i)ower, 
would have been glad to destroy the colonial charters, and 
give the control of the colonies into the hands of military 
officers. Lord Grenville was wise enough to see that any 
extreme measures of this kind would be disastrous ; but he 
thought the Stamp Act would meet with Init slight opposi- 
tion, and afford the needed financial relief. He little under- 
stood the temper of the colonies. When the news reached 
New England of the proposed law, Connecticut was the first 
to take action in regard to the matter.^ A committee was ap- 



1765.] 



DISCUSSION OF STAMP-TAX. 



175 



pointed to assist Governor Fitch in preparing a protest. This 
paper was sent to Richard Jackson, the agent of the colony 
in England, with directions to " firmly insist on the exclusive 
right of the colonies to tax themselves, and on the privilege 
of trial by jury." Jared IngersoU was sent to London to aid 
Jackson in the effort to secure the rejection of the obnoxious 
bill. Being asked by one of the secretaries of the treasury 
to give his views regarding the proposed measure, he made 
answ^er in a letter in which he said, " The people think, if the 
precedent of a Stamp Act is once established, you will have 
it in your power to keep us as poor as you please. The 
people's minds, not only here, but in 
the neighboring provinces, are filled 
with the most dreadful apprehension 
from such a step taking place ; from 
whence I leave you to guess how easily 
a tax of that kind would be collected." 
Farther on he writes, '' As for your 
allied plan of enforcing the Acts of 
trade and navigation, and preventing 
smuggling, let me tell you that enough 
would not be collected here in the course 

of ten years to defray the expense of fitting out one, the 
least frigate for an American voyage ; and that the whole 
labor would be like burning a barn to roast an egg." In 
homely, blunt terms like these, the freemen of Connecticut 
warned the British ministers of the folly of attempting, by 
arbitrary and unjust measures, to fill the royal treasury. 

When Mr. IngersoU reached England, in the winter of 
1764, he found the Stamp Act already drawn, but was 
successful in securing a revision of some of its worst fea- 
tures. While the bill was under discussion, the cause of the 
colonists did not lack eloquent advocates. The repl}' of 
Colonel Barre to Townshend, one of the crown ministers, was- 
a masterpiece of impassioned eloquence. In Februar}-, 1765^ 




BUIilsH STAMP. 



176 HJSTOKY OF CONNECTICUT. [l765. 

the Stamp Act passed through both Houses. Illness pre- 
vented Pitt from raising his voice in protest against this 
unjust proceeding. '' When the resolution was taken to tax 
America, I was ill and in bed," he afterwards said. '"If 1 
could have endured to be carried in my bed, so great was the 
agitation of my mind for the consequences, I would have 
solicited some kind hand to have laid me down on this floor, 
to have borne m}^ testimon}^ against it. ' ' 

The English Government understood very well that the 
colonies v.ere earnestly opposed to the Stamp Act, but they 
had no thought of the storm of wrath and resistance which 
it would arouse. It was a surprise to many of the leaders 
of public affairs in America. Fi-anklin, who had with great 
zeal and wisdom represented the interests of colonial rights 
in England while the bill was under discussion, after its pas- 
sage saw no other way open, than to quietly submit. Gov- 
ernor Fitch and Jared IngersoU, with other prominent 
citizens who had done all in their power to oppose the scheme 
of taxation that struck a deadly blo\y at tlie liberties of the 
colony, counselled submission. They mistook the feeling of 
the people. During the two years that the Stamp Act had 
been under discussion, there was but little manifestation of 
public interest. They vrere unwilling to believe that Eng- 
land would do so great a wrong. These days of waiting 
proved but a calm before a furious storm. When the pas 
sage of the Act was known, the colonies were stirred as 
never before. Connecticut was among^ the first to give ex- 
pression to the fixed determination to resist what she consid- 
ered an act of outrageous tyranny. The clergy were still 
the leaders of public opinions, and they were united in de- 
nunciation of the great wrong. '^ Societies were organized 
under the name of " Sons of Liberty," the secret purpose 
of which was to resist the Stamp Act by violent measures, 
if necessary. This powerful organization spread rapidly 
throutrh the northern colonies, and did efficient service. 



1765] THE STAMP ACT REPUDIATED. 1T7 

Public meetings were held in every part of the colony to 
protest against the offensive law, and many of the towns 
went so far as to authorize their clerks to receive and record 
deeds and other legal documents without regard to the Stamp 
Act. Newspapers and pamphlets, filled with paragraphs of 
keen satire and bold denunciation, were scattered everywhere. 
Copies of the Act were carried in processions, and buried 
with derisive funeral ceremonies ; and caricatures of the 
British ministers were openly circulated with defiant bold- 
ness. 

Governor Fitch still thought it the best and prudent course 
to sustain the law. This opinion was not sluued by all of 
his council. When the proposition was made to take the 
oath, Colonel Trumbull refused to witness the ceremony, 
and, rising, indignantly left the room, followed by a majority 
of those present, 

]Mr. Ingersoll, who had done all in his power to oppose the 
bill, after its passage decided to accept the position of stamp 
agent for Counecticuto Franklin urged him to take the 
place, and no one doubted his motives in accepting it. The 
people of Connecticut, however, were not pleased with this 
action. They did not propose to pay stamp-duties, or allow 
one of their citizens to act as an agent of the odious law. 
Ingersoll in vain attempted to conciliate his fellow-townsmen 
of New Haven, and show them that it was for their interest 
to buy the stamps. He was visited by a crowd of citizens, 
who inquired impatiently if he would resign. *' I know not 
if I have power to resign," was his evasive reply. ^ He 
]iroraised, however, if he received an}' stamps, to reship 
t'.iem, or leave his doors open so that the people could do 
as they pleased with them. Not long after this, a company 
of the '' Sons of Liberty '* from Norwich, New London, 
Windham, Lebanon, and other towns, started out on horse- 
back, with eight days' provisions, determined to find the 
stami)-master, and compel him to resign. He had set out 



178 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l765. 

for Hartford, accompauiecl by Governor Fitch, to attend the 
Assembly that was soon to open. On the way the}' were met 
bj' two men with peeled clnbs, who stated that a large com- 
pany were not far away. The governor ordered them to 
return, and tell their associates to disperse. To his surprise, 
they refused to do so. " We look upon this," they said, 
'• as the cause of the people : we will not take directions 
from„ any one." They withdrew after IngersoU sent a mes- 
sage that he would meet them at Hartford. 

The day on which the Assembly was to open, IngersoU 
resumed his journey alone. He had reached a point two or 
three miles from Wethersfield when four or five men ap- 
peared, and sooD after an escort of thirty persons. They 
rode on in silence until thev saw the road before them filled 
with a crowd of five hundred stalwart men on horseback, 
each bearing a ponderous peeled club iu imitation of the 
baton carried in those days by oflficers of the peace. Two 
militia officers iu full dress headed the procession, and three 
trumpeters awoke the echoes with their blasts. The com- 
pany rode two abreast, and with military courtesy opened 
ranks to receive Mr. IngersoU. Haviug reached Wethers- 
field, they demanded his resignation. ''Is it fair," he re- 
plied, " that the counties of New London and Windham 
should dictate to aU the rest of the colony?" — " It don't 
signify to parley," they answered : " here are a great many 
people waiting, and you must resign." — "I wait," he said, 
''■to know the sense of the government." He was allowed 
the privilege of entering a house near by, but the doors 
were carefully guarded. He managed to send word to the 
governor and the Assembly of his situation, and hoped to 
receive relief. For three hours he was able to keep off the 
people by evasive proposals. "This delay," said some of 
them, " is his artifice to wheedle the matter along till the 
Assembly shall get insnared iu it." The impatient crowd 
outside was growing more angry, and threats o£ violence 



1765.] ingersoll's kesignation. 179 

were freely uttered. Dnrkee, the leader of the Sons of Lib- 
erty, finall}' came to the house where Ingersoll was waiting 
in hope that the crowd would disperse, and gave him warning 
that he could " keep the people off no longer." The stairway 
and hall were filled with stalwart -men, whose faces showed 
their determination. ''The cause is not worth dying for," 
said the intrepid man, who would never have flinched had he 
not felt that after all this band of earnest men were in the 
right. A formal resignation was given him to sign, which 
reads as follows : — 

" Wethersfield, Sept. 19, 1765. 

"1 do hereby promise, that I never will receive any stamped 
papers which may arrive from Europe, in consequence of an Act lately 
passed in the Parliament of Great Britain; nor officiate as stamp-mas- 
ter or distributer of stamps, within the colony of Connecticut, either 
directly or indirectly. And I do hereby notify to all the inhabitants 
of his Majesty's colony of Connecticut (notwithstanding the said office 
or trust has been committed to me), not to apply to me ever after, for 
any stamped paper; hereby declaring that I do resign the said office, 
and execute these presents, of my own free will and accord, without 
any equivocation or mental reservation. 

^' In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand. 

"J. Ingersoll." 

After he had signed his name, the crowd cried out, "Swear 
to it ! " He begged to be excused from taking an oath. 
" Then shout ' Liberty and Property,' " said the now good- 
natured compan}'. To this he had no objection, and waved 
his hat enthusiastically as he repeated the Words. Having 
given three cheers, the now hilarious party dined together. 
By this time they were ready to start for Hartford with a 
thousand horsemen in the ranks. The highway was crowded 
with people curious to see the strange procession. Having 
reached the Capitol, Durkee drew up his cavalry four abreast, 
aud, while the trumpeters blew their loudest blasts, the^' 
formed around the court-house in a semicircle. Ingersoll 
again read his resignation as stamp-officer, and shouted 



18a HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l765, 

"Liberty and Property." With three exultant cheers the 
crowd quietly dispersed to their homes. 

Colonel Putnam was a prime mover in this affair, but was 
unable to be present when it was carried out. Not long 
after, he was commissioned to wait on Governor Fitch, and 
inform him of the sentiments of the people. The following 
dialogue is said to have passed between them : — 

Governor. "What shall I do if the stamped paper should be sent 
to me by the king's authority ? " 

Putnam. " Lock it up until we shall visit you again." 

Governor. " And what will you do then ? " 

Putnam. "We shall expect you to give us the key of the room in 
which it is deposited; and if you think fit, in order to screen yourself 
from blame, you may forewarn us, upon our peril, not to enter the room." 

Governor. " And what will you do afterwards ? " 

Putnam. '' Send it safely back again." 

Governor. " But if I should refuse admission ?" 

Putnam. " Your house will be levelled with the dust in five 
minutes." , 

While the colonies were in these vigorous ways expressing 
their determination to resist the execution of the unjust law. 
Pitt, now Earl of Chatham, with others, was unwearied in 
his efforts to secure its repeal. This was accomplished in 
just a year from its passage. The joy throughout New Eng- 
land found expression in days of thanksgiving, and various 
public demonstrations. 

' At the October session of the Legis- 2 i^ Connecticut, says Bancroft, " the 
lature, an elaborate paper was adopted, Calvinist ministers nursed the flame of 
which, in connection with a full and just piety and civil freedom. Of that vener- 
Blatement of the services of the colony able band, none did better service than 
in the war with the French, argued that the American-born Stephen Johnson, 
"charging stamp-duties, or other inter- pastor of the First Church of Lyme.'" 
nal duties, by authority of Parliament, 3 The town-meeting, after electing 
would be such an infringement of the Roger Sherman as the representative of 
rights, privileges, and authorities of the New Haven, by public vote " earnestly 
colonies, that it might be humbly and desired IngersoU to resign his stamp- 
firmly trusted, and even relied upon, ofBco immediately." The answer he 
that the supreme guardians of the liber- made was, " I shall await to see how 
ties of the subject would not suffer the the General Assembly is inclined." 
same to be done." 



'68.1 THE REPEAL OF THE STAMP ACT. 181 



CHAPTER XXX. 
1766-1775. 

THE PEOPLE OF CONNECTICUT REPEL THE ACTION OF 
PARLIAMENT. 

THE jo}' over the repeal of the Stamp Act was sliort-lived. 
The doctrine that Parliament was everywhere supreme, 
had been more strongly asserted than ever. At the time the 
obnoxious bill was suppressed, they declared that they had a 
perfect right " to bind the colonies in all cases whatsoever." 
The Stamp Act was gone, but others still continued in force 
that in principle were the same. A year or two passed in 
comparative quiet. Broken in health, the Earl of Chatham 
was unable to contend in Parliament for the rights of America 
as he had once done. The bitter hatred of the king, who 
already looked upon the colonists as '' rebels," and the 
active efforts of Lord Grenville and others, soon created irri- 
tation, and aroused the old feeling. Among those who saw 
that a crisis was approaching that might result in the separa- 
tion of the colonies from the mother country, was Jonathan 
Trumbull, the respected and beloved deputy-governor of 
Connecticut. He expressed the opinion, that, if " methods 
tending to violence should be taken to maintain the depend- 
.ence of the colonies, it would hasten a separation." 

The attempt, under what was known as the Meeting Act, 

to quarter British troops in New York at the expense of the 

colonies, was unsuccessful. As a punishment for their dis- 

^ obedience, Parliament suspended the legislative powers of 

9* 



182 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [1769-73. 

New York. Not long after, a Revenue Bill was passed, 
laying port-duties on wine, oil, and fruit from Spain and 
Portugal, and on glass, paper, lead, colors, and tea. The 
opposition to these measures was so great at the commercial 
centres of New York and Boston, that soldiers were sent to 
both cities to keep the people quiet. The excitement, how- 
ever, did not decrease. 

Early in 1769 a British sloop-of-war was stationed near 
New London to watch vessels entering and leaving the port, 
and see that the revenue laws were not violated. This did 
not prevent considerable smuggling. While Massachusetts, 
New York, and Virginia were the prominent points of active 
disturbance, Connecticut was eager and ready to unite in 
every plan suggested for the common welfare and union of 
the colonies. The British ministry were alarmed at the re- 
/)ellious and defiant attitude of the colonists, and promised 
to repeal the duties on every article except tea. This did 
not satisfy the people ; for they well understood, as long as 
one tax remained, they had gained nothing. In no colony 
was the agreement more faithfully kept not to use imported 
articles than in Connecticut. The women with earnest pur- 
pose encouraged by their personal industry this determination. 
The spinning-wheel did active duty in their dwellings, and 
'• homespun " clothing was the badge of patriotism worn by 
rich and poor. Committees of inspection were appointed, 
to see that the agreement not to use imported goods was 
sacredly kept. The discovery of unfaithfulness was enough 
to ostracize the culprits, whatever might be their position. 

During the years 1771 and 1772, the popular sentiment in 
favor of active resistance increased. In December, 1773, 
some English ships laden with tea were sent to Boston. The 
citizens were determined that it should never be landed upon 
their wharves. They did not propose to have a taxed article 
forced upon them. AYe need not repeat the storj^ of the dis- 
cussions that were finally brought to an end by a party of 



1774.] THE BOSTON PORT BILL. 183 

Bostoniaus, who, iu the disguise of Indians, boarded the ves- 
sels, and flung their contents into the sea. It was the act of 
a mob ; but the colonies understood the spirit that had 
prompted it, and generally approved it. 

When the news reached England, the king exulted in the 
opportunity that now offered of crushing the rebellious spirit 
of the Americans, and bringing them into full subjection to 
the royal authority. " The die," he wrote his minister, 
Lord North, •' is cast. The colonies must either triumph or 
submit." "If we take the resolute part," he sagely re- 
marks, "they will undoubtedly be very meek." P^ven this 
narrow-minded and stubborn specimen of ro^^al incompetence 
soon realized his mistake. In the beginning of 1774 a bill 
was introduced into Parliament to punish riotous Boston by 
closing its port against all commerce. At the same time the 
charter of Massachusetts was altered. The Crown was here- 
after to choose its council ; and the governor was not only to 
nominate the judges, but had the right to send all persons 
charged with a share in the recent disturbances, to England 
for trial. 

The blow struck at the liberties of Massachusetts was 
felt by all the colonies as if directed against their own life. 
If Parliament could cancel the charter of Massachusetts, and 
destroy the trade of her great seaport town, how long had 
they reason to expect that they would escape the same fate ? 
The British Government could not have done more to hush 
the jealousies of the colonies, and unite them for their com- 
mon protection. The town-meetings of Connecticut that had 
so vigorously denounced the Stamp Act, again gathered to 
express their abhorrence of the action of Great Britain 
towards Massachusetts. Sympathy for their sister colony 
took a very practical form. Almost every town sent dona- 
tions to Boston for the relief of the poor. Two hundred and 
fifty fat sheep were sent from Windham ; and besides money, 
wheat, and corn, Norwich sent a flock of three hundred and 



184 HISTORY OF CONNECTICrT. [l774. 

ninety sheep. Other towns were equally liberal and thought- 
ful. Letters were sent from these little republics to their 
brethren in Boston, breathing sentiments of lofty patriotism 
and earnest purpose. The day when the law took effect 
was observed in Hartford as a day of public mourning. The 
town-house was draped in black, and the bells tolled all day. 
Early in September news was received that Boston had been 
attacked, and several citizens killed. Before the rumor 
could be contradicted, it was estimated that twent}' thousand 
men were on their march for Boston. The country was in- 
deed ripe for revolution. 

As soon as the passage of the Boston ''Port Bill" was 
announced, steps were taken to call a convention of dele- 
gates from the colonies. All of the legislatures, save that of 
Georgia, sent representatives to this Congress, which assem- 
bled in Philadelphia on the 4th of September. Eliphalet 
Dyer, Roger Sherman, and Silas Deane were in attendance 
from Connecticut. Massachusetts meanwhile took a defiant 
and rebellious stand. Disregarding the orders of the royAl 
governor, its Assembly met as usual, and voted arms and 
ammunition to the militia. The Congress at Philadelphia, 
under the influence of the delegates from Virginia, passed 
resolutions that were moderate and conciliatory in tone. 
This was an encouragement to those in England who were 
anxious to avert open hostilities. Chatham once more raised 
his voice for peace. In consultation with Franklin, he intro- 
duced a bill providing for the repeal of the Acts which the 
Americans deemed unjust and oppressive. The troops were 
to be recalled, and the decision left to a colonial Assembly 
as to the way in which they might contribute towards the 
payment of the public debt. "It is not cancelling a piece 
of parchment," he said, "that can win back America: you 
must respect her fears and her resentments." 

The conciliatory measure of Chatham was rejected by the 
Lords ; and a similar measure, introduced by Edmund Burke 



1775.] THE BATTLE OF LEXINGTON. 185 

into the House of Commons, met the same fate. War was 
inevitable. Boston was full of British troops, and a skir- 
mish between a party of English soldiers and the militia at 
Lexington opened the long struggle. The General Assem- 
bly was in session at Hartford when news came of this battle. 
It was not a surprise, and there were many who rejoiced that 
the trial of arms had begun. The time was ripe for Connec- 
ticut men to carry out a plan that should win a substantial 
victory at the very beginning of the war- This plan was to 
surprise and seize Fort Ticouderoga. A number of wealthy 
gentlemen borrowed the money from the Colonial Treasury 
that was necessary to defray the expenses of the expedition. 
Sixteen chosen men proceeded to Berkshire, and, having laid 
the matter before some of the leading citizens, gained the 
aid of a re-enforcement of about forty soldiers. Proceeding 
to Bennington, they were there joined by Colonel Ethan Allen, 
Seth Warner, and not far from one hundred volunteers. 

The little army in command of Colonel Allen reached the 
shores of Lake Champlain, opposite Ticouderoga, towards- 
evening on the 9th of May. There were but a few boats at 
their disposal, and the entire night was consumed in getting 
the ofKcers and eighty-three of the men across the lake. The 
boats had been sent back to bring over the rear-guard in 
command of Colonel Warner, when Colonel Allen saw that 
the morning would soon break, and that no time could be 
lost if they surprised the sleeping garrison. Without waiting 
longer, he drew up his forces in three ranks not far from the 
walls of the fortress. " I now propose," he said, '^ to ad- 
vance before you, and in person conduct you through the 
wicket-gate ; for we must this morning either quit our pre- 
tensions to valor, or possess ourselves of this fortress in a 
few minutes ; and inasmuch as it is a desperate attempt, 
which none but the bravest of men dare undertake, I do not 
urge it on any contrary to his will. You that will undertake 
voluntarily, poise your firelocks." 



186 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l775. 

Every soldier brought his musket to position. In silence 
Colonel Allen advanced to the wicket-gate. A solitary sen- 
tinel snapped his fusee. Allen rushed towards him, and 
across a covered passage-way into the parade-ground within 
the fort. In a moment he had formed the ranks of his men 
facing the barracks in which the soldiers of the garrison 
were sleeping. The sentries within had given the alarm ; 
and one of them made a pass at an officer with his bayonet, 
and slightly wounded him. Allen raised his sword to kill 
him at a blow, but changed his purpose, and gave him a cut 
on the side of his head. The sentinel threw down his gun, 
and begged for his life. Allen granted the petition, and de- 
manded where the commanding officer slept. The sentry 
pointed to a flight of stairs leading to rooms above the bar- 
racks. Running up the steps, he shouted at the entrance, 
" Come forth instantly, or I will sacrifice the whole garri- 
son ! " The astonished commander, in his night-dress, came 
to the door to discover the source of this strange summons. 
Confronted by the massive form of the colonial leader with 
drawn sword, he stood trembling and speechless. "Deliver 
me the fort instantly," said Allen. " By whose authority? " 
inquired the British officer. '' In the name of the great 
Jehovah and the Continental Congress." 

Captain de la Place was inclined to make further parley ; 
but Allen interrupted him with a threatening flourish of his 
sword, and a demand for the instant surrender of the fort. 
This was immediately done, and orders were given that his 
men should parade without arms. A bloodless victory had 
been won in the name of the Continental Congress several 
hours before that body had held its opening session. 

Colonel Warner with the rear-guard did not reach the fort 
until after its surrender. Without delay he hastened with 
one hundred men to Crown Point. This fortress was held 
by a small garrison of twelve men and a single officer, and 
jielded at once. 



1776.] THE CAPTURE OF TICONDEROGA. 18T 

The fall of Ticonderoga was an important conquest, the 
credit of which must fall to Connecticut.^ The money to 
defray the expenses of the expedition was furnished from 
her treasury. The plan of the campaign was suggested by 
her citizens. Both Allen and Warner were natives of Litch- 
tield County ; and among the bravest of the band of Green- 
Mountain Boys whom they led, were many from the same 
beautiful hill-country. Lieutenant Crampton, who entered 
the fort by the side of Allen, was a native of Litchfield, and 
resided there most of his life. At least one-half of the band 
of eighty-three men who "poised their firelocks," and fol- 
lowed their intrepid leader in this memorable assault, were 
natives or inhabitants of Woodbury. In 1775 Connecticut 
sent a thousand men to garrison Ticonderoga and Crown 
Point. Of this number one hundred and fifty were from 
Woodbury ; and Colonel Hinman, having command of these 
important forts, was from the same town. 

^ Bancroft says of the taking of aged by an express messenger to raise 
Ticonderoga, "The great deed which, men chiefly in the New-Hampshire 
in the mean time, was achieved in the grants. On the morning of the 1st of 
North, was planned in Connecticut, and May, the party, which had grown to the 
executed at her cost. Parsons of that number of sixteen, left Salisbury. At 
colony, on his way to Hartford, crossing Pittsfield, in Massachusetts, the Counec- 
Arnold, who was bound for Massachu- ticut party were joined by John Brown. 
setts, obtained of him an account of the the young lawyer of that village; by 
state of Ticonderoga, and the great num- Colonel James Easton, and by volun- 
ber of its brass cannon. At Hartford, on teers from Berkshire. At Bennington 
the 27th of April, Parsons, taking as his they found Ethan Alien, who sent the 
advisers Samuel Wyllys and Silas Deane, alarm through the hills and valleys of 
with the assistance of three others, pro- Vermont; and on Sunday, the 7th ol 
jected the capture of Ihe fort; and, with- May, about one hundred Green-Moun- 
out formally consulting the Assembly or tain boys, and near fifty soldiers from 
the governor and council, they, on their Massachusetts, under the command of 
own receipts, obtained money from the Easton, rallied at Castleton. Just then 
public treasury, and on the 28th sent arrived Arnold with only one attend- 
forward Noah Phelps and Bernard Ro- ant. He brought a commission from 
mans. The next day Captain Edward the Massachusetts Committee of Safety. 
Mott of Preston, chairman of the Con- which was disregarded; and the men 
necticut committee, followed with five unanimously elected Ethan Allen their 
associates. Ethan Allen was encour- chief." 



188 



HISTOKY OF CO^'NECTlCUT. 



[1775. 



CHAPTER XXXI. 

1775. 

THE BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL. 

rpHE news of the battle of Lexington spread like wildfire. 
-L As soon as the intelligence reached Governor Trumbull,^ 
he sent a messenger to Israel Pntnam, directing him to come 
at once to Lebanon. It was early morning, and Putnam was 

working in the field when this 
word came to him. Giving 
hurried directions to his ser- 
vants, he hastened home, and, 
mounting his horse, rode away 
at full speed. After a brief 
interview with the governor, 
he immediately started for 
Concord, with the assurance 
that troops would at once be 
sent after him. This veteran 
of sixty years kept his saddle 
for eighteen hours, riding all night, and arriving at Concord 
at sunrise the next morning. The Connecticut militia were 
rapidly recruited, and the little parties that first hurried for« 
ward were soon joined by larger and better equipped corn- 
panics. Putnam was stationed at Cambridge, and in a short 
time the ranks of his regiment were more than full. 

The General Assembly took active measures, and ordered 
that one-fourth of the militia should " be fortliwith enlisted. 




JONATHAN TRUMBULL. 



1775.J THE BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL. 189 

equipped, accoutred, and assembled for the safety and de- 
fence of the colony." Six regiments were thus raised ; and 
David Wooster, Joseph Spencer, and Israel Putnam were 
appointed as general officers. 

By the first of June, ten thousand veteran troops, the flower 
of the British army, held the harbor and city of Boston. 
Day after day re-enforcements poured into the colonial camp 
at Cambridge. When brought together they presented a 
motley appearance in their homespun dress and equipments : 
but a large proportion of these men were not raw recruits ; 
they had performed valiant service in the French wars, and 
understood the serious nature of .^^"=1*- 

the business they had taken in ^^^^^^ 

hand. About fifteen thousand J^^^"^^ 

men soon gathered at Cam- ^^^B^Rl^« 

bridge. Of this number, three ^^^^P^^P 

thousand were from Connecti- ^, >,^^^^^^^^J|^ '^ 
cut. On the 27th of May, ^^^^^^^^^^^ 
General Putnam,^ in charge of ^^^^^^^^i^^^^^^ 
a skirmishinsj party on Hog ..7!^! Txl^.r 

^ i^ J » ISRAEL PUTNAM. 

Island, was attacked by a large 

body of British marines, who crossed over from Boston. 
They were supported b}' two vessels-of-war and some 
smaller boats. Putnam had but two diminutive pieces of 
ordnance ; but he was an excellent gunner, and handled 
his ordnance in a very effective manner. The firing con- 
tinued after dark ; and one of the vessels ran aground, 
and was abandoned by her crew. Putnam the next morn- 
ing gave orders to board her ; and, after taking what 
they could find of value, she was burned. The Ameri- 
cans did not lose a single man in this skirmish, but the 
eneni}' reported the loss of nearly a hundred killed and 
wounded. 

This successful action increased the desire of the troops at 
Caml)ridge to meet the enemy. The veteran general. Ward. 



190 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l775. 

who held the chief command, did not favor a forward move- 
ment. Putnam, Prescott, and other officers, were of a differ- 
ent mind. A plan suggested by Putnam was finally adopted. 
The battle of Bunker Hill followed on the 17th of June. 
Some days previous to this, Putnam had marched a company 
of troops from Cambridge to Charlestown, in order to gain 
a better knowledge of the neighborhood, and select the 
best place for throwing up intrenchments. Having returned 
to the camp, arrangements were at length completed ; 
and on the 16th of June, Colonel William Prescott was 
ordered to proceed to Charlestown in the evening, with a 
detachment of about a thousand men,* and take possession 
of Breed's Hill. The name of this gifted and brave officer 
has most frequently appeared in history as the central and 
prominent figure in this important engagement. There is 
no need of disparaging the part he acted ; but the impar- 
tial testimony of many facts gives the first place in com- 
mand and leadership on that memorable day, to Israel 
Putnam. A narrative of the battle of Bunker Hill that 
does not give prominence to the part lie acted in it, 
fails to recognize the moving and guiding spirit in its 
eventful scenes.'* 

After reaching the heights above the then thriving village 
of Charlestown, Prescott and Putnam held a consultation 
with Colonel Gridley, a veteran military engineer ; and orders 
were given to fortify Breed's Hill, a little below Bunker 
Hill, and nearer the harbor. While the breastworks were 
being thrown up, an officer in command of some Connecticut 
and other troops, was sent down to watch the movements of 
the eneni}'. Putnam remained upon the hill, aiding and 
directing in the building of the redoubt ; while Prescott, with 
one of his aids, was seeking to learn if the British were aware 
of their movements. The droning cry of the sentries upon 
the ships, "All's well," assured them that the enemy were 
sleeping in ignorance of the position the Americans had taken.. 



1775.] THE BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL. 191 

With the breaking of the morning, the British officers 
opened their eyes in astonishment, as, by the aid of their 
field-glasses, they saw the outlinea of the breastworks that 
had been thrown up during the night. A battery of heavy 
guns was mounted on Copp's Hill, and at once opened fire. 
This cannonade was the signal that ushered in the hostilities 
of the eventful day. 

The heat was oppressive ; and the men, suffering from their 
exhausting all-night labors in the trenches, begged for some- 
thing to eat and drink, and expressed their anxiety that fresh 
troops should be sent to relieve tliem. Putnam was already on 
the way to Cambridge, to urge the sending of re-enforcements ; 
and Prescott did all he could to encourage the brave men about 
him, and allaj" their fears. General Ward was firm in his 
conviction that the main body of the British army would 
march on Cambridge, and for this reason hesitated to send 
additional troops to Charlestown. But for his hesitancy and 
failure to give the aid he might have done, the colonial army 
might not only have defeated the British, but have held the 
heights of Bunker Hill after the battle. 

It was noon before the British troops embarked from the 
wharf at Boston. Both Putnam and Prescott were busy in 
directing the movements of their men, and preparing for the 
attack of the enemy. The gallant Captain Knowlton, with 
a company of Connecticut men, had taken what proved to 
be an important position, and, following the orders of Putnam, 
had thrown up a rude breastwork of grass and fence-rails.^ 
The Connecticut troops at Cambridge were eager to march, 
and sent a request to General Ward, asking the privilege of 
following their beloved leader. This was not granted, and 
others had to act the heroic part in which they earnestly 
desired to engage. 

As yet no works had been erected upon Bunker Hill. 
Putnam felt that it was absolutely necessary to fortify this 
spot, and, in spite of the remonstrance of Prescott, sent a 



192 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l775. 

body of men to throw up ii redoubt. Again he started for 
Cambridge, to hurry up the promised re-enforcements 
Having received the cheering word thar the New-Hampshire 
troops, under Colonel Stark, were on iho way from Medford, 
he hastened uack to meet them. Sendi^ig a part of the force 
to assist in throwing up the intrenchment on Bunker Hill, he 
ordered Stark, with the rest of his men, to join Captain 
Knowltcn. By this time General Ward was satisfied that the 
main attack of the British was to be made upon the heights 
of Charlestown ; but he still kept some of the best regiments 
in Cambridge, and it was too late for those that were sent 
forward to give the aid they might have done at an earlier 
hour. 

The battle was commenced late in the afternoon by the 
British artillery, who opened a heavy fire upon the works on 
Breed's Hill. Prescott was in command at this point, and 
ordered his men to lie behind the earthworks, and not expose 
themselves. Putnam, mounted upon his white horse, was in 
every part of the field, now directing the still unfinished 
work on Bunker Hill, giving orders to Stark and Knowlton 
at the rail-fence, and again, in stormful passion, arresting an 
oflficer who showed signs of cowardice. The British columns 
had formed, and were ready to march up the hill. Under 
cover of a furious cannonade, directed at the redoubt, they 
moved forward. Putnam was at this moment looking after 
the works on Bunker Hill : ordering the drums to beat to 
;ums, lie hastened to join Prescott at the redoubt below. 
Riding along the line, he gave strict commands that not a 
gun should be fired until the order was distinctly given. 
" Powder,'* he said to the men, " is scarce. Don't fire until 
you can see the whites of their eyes. Fire low. Aim at the 
handsome coats — pick off their commanders." 

There was no experienced gunner in the line ; and Putnam 
dismounted, and assisted in getting the few pieces of artillery 
in position. He sighted the guns himself; and, while the 



1775.] THE RATTLE OF BUNKER HILL. 193 

ammunition lasted, they did fatal execution. When the 
British coUimns were about eight rods from the American 
Hues, tlie order was given to fire. The front rank was swept 
away, and nearly every officer on the advance line was killed 
by the terrible voile}'. Every shot had told. The blaze of 
muskets from the redoubt and rail-fence poured another 
deadly fire into the now staggering and dismayed columns. 
The veteran troops, with true English courage, rallied again 
and again. After General Pigot on the left had ordered a 
retreat, General Howe still stubbornly held his ground. At 
length he was forced to retire, and a shout of victory ex- 
pressed the joy of the Americans. Many of them wished 
to pursue the British, and were only restrained by their offi- 
cers. Re-enforcements from Cambridge had reached the neck 
of land leading to the heights where the battle was raging : 
this point was swept by the enemy's artillery, and tlie men 
did not dare to proceed. In vain did Putnam ride back and 
forth to assure them that there was little danger : only a 
portion had courage to follow him. 

AVhile the British were re-forming their broken ranks, Put- 
nam hastened to Bunker Hill to secure the assistance of some 
troops still there : they proved skulkers, and neither threats 
nor commands availed to make them do their duty. General 
Howe, having re-organized his troops, again marched up the 
hill. They were permitted to come within six rods of the 
American line before the order was given to fire. As before, 
the aim of these veteran marksmen was deadly, and sent the 
columns reeling backwards. After a thousand men, the 
flower of the British army, had fallen, they slowly retreated 
towards the shore. General Clinton, who had been watching 
the battle from Copp's Hill, crossed over to the place where 
the British troops were trying to make a last rally ; and a new 
plan of attack was ordered, and the columns again moved 
forward. 

Putnam saw that he must have re-enforcements and a fresh 



194 HISTORY OF CONNE(^TlCUT. [l775. 

supply of ammunition if he held his position. It was at 
this moment that three companies from Connecticut, in com- 
mand of Captains Chester, Clark, and Coit, crossed the 
Neck, and advanced up the hill. With them was Major 
Durkee of stamp-act fame. Unfortunatel}', some of the 
colonial troops sent forward from Cambridge were demoral- 
ized by tlie sight and sound of the battle, and refused to do 
their duty. Worst of all, the brave men within the redoubt 
had only a few charges of powder left. When these were 
expended, they still attempted to hold their ground ; but it 
was impossible. With sad heart Prescott sounded the re- 
treat. The brave, noble-hearted, and gifted Warren, who, 
notwithstanding his rank as general, had gone into the battle 
as a volunteer, was reluctant to forsake the field. While 
slowly retreating, he was struck in the head by a bullet, and 
fell lifeless. 

As the Americans fell back, Putnam called to them to rally, 
and make another stand against the enemy on Bunker Hill ; 
but their ammunition was spent, and the brave men could only 
retreat. The Connecticut troops, that had just arrived on 
the ground, were eager for service; and Putnam ordered 
them to cover the retreat as far as possible. With steady 
aim they fired volley after volley into the British ranks. 
The eneni}-, having gained possession of the redoubt, were 
now pressnig forward ni pursuit. A murderous fire com- 
pletely routed the right wing of the American lines : the left 
wing still remained firm, but was soon forced to retire. All 
that could be done was to conduct tlie retreat as successfully 
as possible. While the army was hastening from the heights 
which they had held with such stub])orn courage, the re-en- 
forcements from Cambridge, for which Putnam had pleaded 
so earnestly, came in sight : it was too late to save the field 
from falling into the hands of the enemy. Nevertheless, the 
battle of Bunker Hill was a victory for the Americans. 
Twice they had driven back a force three times as great as 



1775. 



THE BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL. 



195 



their own, the pick and flower of the British army. With 
comparative!}^ small loss on their part, one-quarter of the 
enemy had fallen dead or wounded upon the field. Not until 
their ammunition was exhausted, did they retreat a single 
step. " Are the Yankees cowards?" shouted the hardy sons 
of New England, as the British troops staggered and re- 
treated before their fearful volleys of fire. Men learned that 
day that valor and strength was the common inheritance of 
those in whose veins ran English blood. 

It is said, that, when Washington heard of the battle, he 
asked, "Did the militia stand fire?" When told that they 
reserved their own until the enemy were within eight rods, 
he quietl}' said, " The liberties of the country are safe." 



' GovernorFitch, on account of his 
Tory sentiments and actions, lost favor 
in the eyes of the people. He was suc- 
ceeded, iu 1766, by William Pitkin. He 
held the office for three years, when 
Jonathan Trumbull was elected (1769), 

2 Putnam had been appointed briga- 
dier-general in the Conuecticut militia. 
Of the soldiers of the colony, several 
hundred were under his command at 
Cambiidge, and a part were with Spencer 
at Roxbury. 

3 Thomas Knowlton of Ashford 
commanded two hundred Connecticut 
men in this party. 

* An engraving published iu London, 
three months after the battle, has at the 
foot these words : " Israel Putnam, Esq., 
Major General of the Conuecticut forces, 



and Commander-in-chief at the engage- 
ment on Buncker's Hill, near Boston, 
17 June, 1775. Published as the Act 
directs by (•. Shephard, 9 Sept., 1775. 
Ix)ndon." 

•'• The position held by Knowlton 
was about two hundred yards in the 
rear of the breastworks. The posts of 
the two-rail fence were set in a low 
stone wall that extended dow.n the hill 
toward the Mystic. By building a 
temporary fence in front, and lilliug the 
space with new-mown hay, they made a 
breastwork for a short distance It was 
here that Putnam met W^arren, and of- 
fered to give the command into his hands, 
as Warren was a major-general, and he 
but a brigadier. Warren declined the 
responsibility. 



196 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l775. 



CHAPTER XXXII. 
1775-1776. 

WASHINGTON AT CAMBRIDGE. 

BEFORE the battle of Bunker Hill, the Continental Con- 
gress, in session at Philadelphia, had recognized the 
arm}' at Boston as the national army, and voted to raise ad- 
ditional troops in all the colonies. On the very day the 
memorable battle was fought, the Congress, upon the rec- 
ommendation of the New-England delegates, unanimously 
chose George Washington commander-in-chief of the Ameri- 
can forces. At the same time, Artemas Ward and Charles 
Lee were elected major-generals ; and when news came of 
the battle of Bunker Hill, Israel Putnam and Philip Schuyler 
received a like honor. 

AVashington arrived at Cambridge early in July. His 
fame as a brave and capable officer had already spread far 
and wide, and the Continental army gave him a hearty wel- 
come. His first great task was to bring order and system 
out of the mixed and tangled condition in whi<ch he found 
affairs. In this work he was at once struck with the effi- 
ciency of Putnam. '' You seem to have the faculty," he 
remarked to him one day, "of infusing your own industri- 
ous spirit into all the workmen you employ." When the 
message from the Continental Congress, giving their reasons 
for taking up arms, reached Cambridge, Putnam ordered his 
division to parade on Prospect Hill, and there listen to its 
reading. As soon as it was ended, all of the troops shouted 



I 



1775.] INVASION OF CANADA. 197 

three times the word, " Amen : " at this momeut, as a, signal- 
gun was fired, a beautiful flag, that had just come from Con- 
necticut, was unfurled, and floated in the breeze. On one 
side, in letters of gold, were the words, "An Appeal to 
Heaven;" and on the other, the armorial bearings of the 
colon}^ with the shield and its three vines symbolizing 
knowledge, libert}^ and religion. Under the watchful eye 
and guidance of Washington, the army was soon brought 
into a condition of order and discipline. The difficulties 
that he had to face in other dn-ections were very great. The 
food furnished was poor and scanty, and there was only 
powder enough to supply a few rounds of ammunition. This 
lack was the source of grave anxiety to 
Washington. In the following winter 
an officer wrote, "The bay is open. 
Every thing thaws here excei)t old Put. 
He is still as hard as ever, crying out 
for ' Powder, powder ! ' Ye gods, give 
us powder ! " This scarcity was one of 
the chief reasons why Washington did 
not attempt to take Boston. While he 
kept the British army of ten thousand men cooped up in the 
city, an important movement was made on Canada. In this 
raid, which finally met with repulse before Quebec, Con- 
necticut soldiers and officers acted a prominent part.^ 

The trooi)s that first enlisted did not expect to be away 
from home for any great length of time. The}" had hoped 
that the war would be short and decisive in gaining a recog- 
nition of their rights and liberties. It is not strange that 
the toil and sufferings of camp-life led them to desire to 
return as soon as possible to their comfortable homes and 
pleasant farms. The term of service of the Connecticut 
troops expired about the first of December, and few of them 
were inclined to re-enlist. This was a source of deep regret 
and anxiety to Washington. The desire to return home on 




UNION FLAG. 



198 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l776. 

the part of some of the men was so great, that the}^ left 
the hnes before their time was out. This action was keenl}' 
felt by Governor Trumbull, who expressed his ''grief, sur- 
prise, and indignation." Most of the troops consented to 
remain until the 10th of January. By this time the General 
Assembly had met, and taken prompt measures to fill the 
places of those who had returned. It was voted to raise 
and equip one-fourth of the militia of the colony, and the 
estates of persons guilty of aiding or informing the enemy 
were confiscated. 

Towards the close of February the British prepared to 
evacuate Boston. After they left the city, their ships lay 
for ten days in Nantasket Roads ; and Washington was 
doubtful as to their destination. For this reason he sent at 
first only a few regiments to New York. The rest soon fol- 
lowed, marching to Norwich, where they embarked in sailing- 
vessels. 

The work of completing the fortifications that had been 
commenced by General Lee, was given to the care of Gen- 
eral Putnam. Washington set out for New York April 4. 
meeting Governor Trumbull at Norwich. A large body of 
Connecticut militia did good service in throwing up intrench- 
ments on Staten and Long Islands. Their term soon ex- 
pired ; and they felt, as the spring opened, that it was neces- 
sary for them to return home and look after their farms. 
Again Washington wnote to Trumbull, that he should be very 
anxious unless a picked body of men w^ere organized, and 
ready to march from Connecticut at a moment's notice. The 
weary years that followed proved with what alacrity the 
summons of danger was answered again and again. 

The leaders of public opinion in Connecticut were among 
the first to recognize that the course of events had made it 
impossible for them to hope longer to retain their allegiance 
to the British throne.- On the 14th of June, at a special 
session of the Assembly, it was unanimously resolved, '• that 



1776.] DECLAKATION OF INDEPENDENCE. 



199 




ROGER SHERMAN. 



the delegates of this colony in General Congress be, and 
the}^ are hereby, instructed to propose to that respectable 
body, to declare the United American Colonies free and 
independent states, absolved from all allegiance to the king 
of Great Britain, and to give the as- 
sent of this colony to such declara- 
tions." 

On the 4th of July the Congress in 
session at Philadelphia adopted the 
Act that was the beginning of the 
history of a new nation. ^' We," 
they said, '• the representatives of 
the United States of America in 
Congress assembled, appealing to 
the Supreme Judge of the world 
for the rectitude of our intentions, 
solemnly publish and declare that 

these United Colonies are, and of right ought to l)e, free 
and independent States." The delegates from Connecticut 
who signed this immortal paper were Roger Sherman,^ 

Samuel Huntington,* William 
Williams,^ and Oliver Wolcott.^ 
The Declaration of Independ- 
ence was received throughout 
Connecticut with many mani- 
festations of public rejoicing. 
The patriotism of the people 
found energetic expression in 
the equipment of the militia, 
and preparing powder, car- 
tridges, and other articles, for their use. An incident of 
the times illustrates tlie enthusiasm and spirit with which the 
women engaged in this work. An equestrian statue of 
King George HI. stood for some years on Bowling Green, 
in New- York City. It was made of lead, richly gilded to 




OLIVER WOLCOTT. 



200 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l776. 

resemble gold. On the night of Juh' 11, 1776, it was 
overthrown by a company of the Sons of Liberty. As 
lead was scarce, the statne was broken in pieces, and 
transported to Litchfield for safe keeping. General Wol- 
cott, who had returned home from Philadelphia, built a shed 
in an apple-orchard near his house, in which his leaden 
majesty was melted into bullets. This labor was per- 
formed by some of the most prominent ladies in the vil- 
lage. A careful account, in the handwriting of Oliver 
Wolcott, that is still preserved, sl^ows that over forty-two 
thousand cartridges were made by these loyal women. 

On the 5th of August Governor Trumbull wrote a letter 
to Washinojton, at New York, in which he said, '^ Knowini^ 
our cause righteous, I do not greatly dread what our numer- 
ous enemies can do against us." Washington in his answer 
informed the governor fully of the weakness of his army, 
and said, '"To trust in the justice of our cause without 
our own utmost exertion would be tempting Providence." 
Trumbull at once called together his Council of Safety. Five 
regiments had already gone forward from the counties near 
New York. Nine regiments more were ordered to march; 
and to those not enrolled in any train-band, the governor 
said, " Join yourselves to one of the companies now ordered 
to New York, or form yourselves into distinct companies, 
and choose captains forthwith. March on : this shall he 
your warrant ; may the God of the armies of Israel be 
your leader ! " Leaving the grain half gathered in the fields, 
the farmers of Connecticut departed from their homes, and 
hastened to the scene of action." 

1 Canada was invaded in the sura- diet Arnold. They united in an attack 
mer of 1775 by troops led by Schuyler upon Quebec, but were repulsed, and 
and Montgomery. Wooster joined Mont- Montgomery was killed. The chief com- 
gomery, and took part in the capture of mand now fell upon Wooster, under the 
the fort in Chambly where 16S prisoners most disheartening conditions. His re- 
were sent to Connecticut. On Nov. 12 lations with Schuyler were unhappy, and 
Montreal was taken. Here they were led to accusations against his patriotism 
joined by troops in command of Bene- that were investigated by Congress, and 



SIGNERS OF DECLARATION. 



201 



declared groundless and unjust. In the 
spring of 1776 the Americans were 
driven out of Canada, and it remained a 
Biitish province. 

In the autumn of 1775 (Sept. 30) a 
British man-of-war gave chase to a small 
American vessel, and probably would 
have taken her if she had not taken 
refuge in Stonington Harbor. The en- 
raged English captain opened fire on the 
town, and wounded one citizen. Many 
houses were damaged, and he seized two 
small sloops and a schooner loaded with 
molasses. 

2 In May, 1776, formal action was 
taken, by which the people were released 
from their allegiance to the crown. At 
the October session of the Assembly it 
was enacted, " That the ancient form of 
civil government, contained in the char- 
ter from Charles the Second, King of 
England, and adopted by the people of 
this State, shall be and remain the civil 
Constitution of this State, under the 
sole authority of the people thereof, in- 
dependent of any King or Prince what- 
ever. And that this Republic is, and 
shall forever be and remain, a free, sov- 
ereign, and independent State, by the 
name of the Slate of Connecticut." 

3 Roger Sherman was one of the 
most remarkable men of his times. Tie 
was but nineteen j-ears of age when the 
death of his father brought upon him 
the entire care and support of a large 
family. Having removed to New Mil- 
ford from Stonington, in 1744, he worked 
at his trade as a shoemaker until he en- 
gaged in mercantile pursnits with a 
brother. Gifted with a naturally strong 
and active mind, he made the best use 
of limited advantages. Pursuing the 
study of law in his leisure moments, he 
became so proficient, that he was ad- 
mitted to the bar in 1754. The following 
year he was sent to the Legislature, and 
not long after appointed judge of the 
county court of Litchfield County. Re- 
moving to New Haven, in 1761, he con- 
tinued in this ofiice, and was elected 
treasurer of Yale College, from which 



institution he received the degree of 
A.M. He was a member of the State 
Senate at the time the Stamp Act wi.s 
passed, and took a position of fearless 
courage in opposition to this and other 
measures of oppression on the part of 
the mother country. From this time on, 
he was a recognized leader. He was 
one of the most inliuontial members of 
the First Continental Congress, and was 
appointed one of the committee that 
draughted the Declaration of Independ- 
ence. His services were invaluable dur- 
ing the war ; and after its close, he was a 
prominent delegate in the Convention of 
1787, that framed the present Constitution 
of the United States. After the organiza- 
tion of the government, he was elected a 
member of the House of Representa- 
tives, from which he was soon promoted 
to the Senate, in which otHce he was 
continued during the remainder of his 
life. When New Haven became a city, 
he was elected mayor, and held the posi- 
tion until his death, July 23, 1793, in the 
seventy-third year of his age. 

* Sami^el Huntington was born 
at Windham, July 2, 1732. He was a 
studious lad, and, while working on his 
father's farm, commenced the study of 
law. He had gained a good practice in 
his native town before he removed to 
Norwich, at the age of twenty-eight. In 
1774 he was appointed an associate 
judge of the Superior Court, and the 
following year was sent to the Conti- 
nental Congress. His rei)Utation was 
such that in 1779 he was appointed to 
succeed John Jay as president of the 
Congress, then the highest ofiice in the 
nation. Impaired health compelled huu 
to resign this position, but he again took 
a seat in the Congress of 1783. The 
next year he was appointed chief jus- 
tice of the Superior Court ; and in 1786 
he was elected governor of the State, in 
which ofiice he continued until his death, 
Jan. 5, 1796. Governor Huntington was 
a devoted and sincere Christian, beloved 
and esteemed by all who knew him. 
Thoughtful and wise in judgment, he 



202 



HISTORY OF CONNKOTK'UT. 



popseesed a will tbat was strong and 
Tigorous in carrying out the purposes he 
formed. Few men have served their day 
iind generation with more cousistent 
faithfulness. 

•'■' William Williams. The grand- 
father and father of Mr. Williams were 
■both clergymen, and the latter was for 
more than half a century pastor of the 
Congregational church and parish of Leb 
anon. Ilis distinguished son was born in 
this town, April 18, 1731. Having gradu- 
ated with honor from Harvard College, 
he commenced the study of theology with 
his father. The French war called for 
volunteers; and he entered the ranks 
under his relative, Colonel Ephraira Wil- 
liams, who was killed near Lake George. 
Upon his return home he entered upon 
mercantile pursuits in his native town. 
He held the position of town clerk for 
nearly fifty years, and was chosen as a 
representative in the General Assembly 
for the long period of forty-five j-ears. 
As a delegate to the Congress at Phila- 
delphia, he earnestly advocated the Dec- 
laration of Independence; and during 
the war, his time and fortune were em- 
ployed to further the cause of colonial 
freedom. After a long and useful life 
he died, Aug. 2, 1811. 

'^ Oliver Wolcott was born in 
Windsor, Nov. 26, 1726. He graduated 
at Yale College in 1747, and the same 
year received a captain's commission, 
and with his company marched to the 
northern frontier. During the time he 
was connected with the army, he rose 
step by step until he became a major- 
general. On his return home, after 
studying medicine for a time with his 
uncle. Dr. Alexander Wolcott, he was ap- 
pointed sheriff of the recently organized 
•county of Litchfield. In 1775 Wolcott 



was elected as one of the delegates from 
Connecticut to Congress, and was in 
earnest sympathy with his colleagues iu 
the signing of the Declaration. Upon 
his return home he was appointed a 
member of the Council of Safety by 
Governor Trumbull, and was put in com- 
mand of the detachment of Connecticut 
militia that marched to the defence of 
New York. After the battle of Long 
Island he again resumed his seat in Con- 
gress. In 1776 he aided in sending a 
large body of recruits to General Put- 
nam, then on the Hudson River, and 
took command himself of a force that 
joined General Gates at Saratoga. Ik- 
was with the army at the time of theca). 
ture of Burgoyue and his troops. In 
the summer of 1779 he was in command 
of a division of militia, and acted 
promptly in defending the State at the 
time of the British invasion under Try- 
on. General Wolcott was elected lieu 
tenant-governor of Connecticut in 1786, 
and was re-elected every year until 1796, 
when he was chosen governor. He con 
tinned in this office until the time of his 
death, Dec. 1, 1797. 

^ The General Assembly at the De 
cember session (1776) formed the militia 
of the State into six brigades. David 
Wooster and Jabez Huntington were 
appointed major-generals; and Eliphalel 
Dyer, Gurdon Saltonstall, Oliver Wol- 
cott, Erastus Wolcott, James Wads- 
worth, and Gold S. Silliman, brigadier- 
generals. The following persons had 
previously been appointed colonels: 
Charles Webb, Philip B. Bradley, Jede- 
diah Huntington, Fisher Gay, Comfort 
Sage, John Douglas, Samuel Selden, 
William Douglas, John Chester. Dur- 
ing this year Connecticut sustained no 
less than five drafts. 



me.'] WAK OF THE KE VOLUTION. . 20o 



CHAPTER XXXllI. 

1776-1777. 
BATTLE OF LONG ISLAND. 

ON the 24th of August, Israel Putnam, second in rank to 
Washington, took command of the forces on Long Island.^ 
The British army of twenty thousand men, under General 
Howe, was supported by more than four hundred ships and 
transports. The Americans did not number over eight thou- 
sand. Early on the morning of the 27th, the British began 
their movement towards the American lines from three dif- 
ferent directions. The battle proved a series of skirmishes 
at several points, in which the Continental troops were far 
outnumbered. They fought bravely, but were compelled to 
retreat. Washington, as soon as he saw that the enemy did 
not purpose to attack New York, repaired to Long Island ; 
but the day was already lost. The Connecticut militia did 
nobly, but it was impossible for the Americans to stand 
against the overwhelming numbers of the British. Putnam 
has been accused, both of rashness and incapacity in this 
battle. He ma}^ not have shown any special strategic ability, 
but under the circumstances it is difficult to see how he can 
be blamed for the disasters of the da3^ 

On the night of the following day, the army, under the 
directions of Washington, crossed the P^ast River to the New- 
York side. "Considering the difficulties," wrote General 
Greene, " the retreat from Long Island was the best effected 
retreat I ever read or heard of." 



204 . HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l776. 

Washington was very anxious to gain information regard- 
ing the numbers and position of the British forces. Colonel 
Knowlton was requested to find some one who would accept 
this service. In answer to his appeal, Captain Nathan Ilale 
of South Coventry was the only officer who offered to under- 
take the hazardous enterprise. Having received his instruc- 
tions from AYashington, in a private interview, he made his way 
across the Sound to Huntington Bay, and within a few days 
secured the desired information. After visiting the British 
camps on both sides of the river, he made his way back to 
Huntington, where he was expecting to meet the party who 
were to take him across to the Connecticut shore. Seeing a 
boat approaching that he supposed was coming for him, he 
walked down to the water's edge to wait for it. It was too 
late for him to turn and escape when he found that it was in 
charge of British marines. He was taken on board the guard- 
ship that was near at hand, and conveyed to New York. 

AYhen brought before General Howe, Captain Hale 
frankly confessed that he was an American officer and a sp3\ 
He did not expect mercy, and with calm, fearless spirit, 
awaited the verdict. The decision soon came that con- 
demned him to be hung at daybreak of the following morn- 
ing. These brief hours, it would seem, might have been given 
to him for preparation for death, and the sending of his last 
messages of affection to those he loved. But this was not 
permitted. During the night he was treated with barbarous 
cruelty. His request for the use of a Bible to read was dis- 
regarded with sneers, and the letters he wrote to his mother 
and other friends were torn in pieces before his e^^es. His 
heroic spirit did not for a moment fail him. Calm and dig- 
nified in bearing, he ascended the scaffold, and with unfalter- 
ing voice said, "I only regret that I have but one life to 
lose for my country." Thus died Nathan Hale. History 
has no story of faithfulness unto death more sublime in its 
heroism than this. 



1776.1 



NATHAN HALE. 



205 



Attractive in person, and winning in his manners, Captain 
Hale was beloved by a large circle of devoted friends, who 
mourned his untimely end. Nor were his graces of mind 
less than those of his person. Yale College had crowned 
him with academic honors, and his teachers prophesied for 
him a career of eminent success and usefulness. At the 
breaking out of the war, he was principal of the Union 
Grammar School in New London. Feeling that it was his 
duty to enlist in the service of his country, he asked to be 




BIRTHPLACE OP NATHAN HALE. 



released from his engagement, and his request was granted. 
The parting from his pupils was full of tender interest, as 
with words of earnest counsel he offered a prayer, and, taking 
each one by the hand, bade them an affectionate farewell. 

From the position of lieutenant he was soon promoted to be 
captam. He had seen but little active service when he re- 
sponded to the call from which others shrank because of its 
dangers. Death came to him in its most terrible and cruel 
form ; but, conscious of the rectitude of his action, he met 
his fate without fear. His name deserves the monumental 
tribute soon to be erected by the citizens of his native State. -^ 



206 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l776. 

After anxious consultation witii Congress, Washington 
decided that it was best to retire from New York, and in- 
trench his forces upon the heights north and east of the city. 
General Howe, suspecting this movement, sent troops up the 
river to intercept him. They landed at Kip's Bay, about 
three miles north of the city ; and the truth of history must 
admit that the Connecticut troops, with others stationed there, 
proved shamefully recreant to their duty. At the sight of 
the moving columns of well-drilled British soldiers, they were 
seized with panic, and fled, while Washington vainly sought 
to rally them. Meanwhile the troops in the city were march- 
ing out under the direction of Putnam. Had the British 
officers at once followed up their advantage at Kip's Bay, it 
would have been difficult for them to make their escape. 

On the following morning, Sept. 16, Colonel Knowlton, 
with a party of volunteer rangers, most of whom were from 
Connecticut, advanced through the woods to reconnoitre 
the enemy's line. He was soon discovered by the British 
general, who sent a force to meet him. A discharge of 
musketry gave warning of a sharp skirmish. Washing- 
ton at once sent re-enforcements to the reUef of Colonel 
Knowlton, who advanced, and made an attack upon the ex- 
posed flank of the enemy's line. The fighting was at close 
range ; and in the thick of the conflict, pierced by several 
bullets, Knowlton, at the head of his men, fell mortally 
wounded. Inspired with the determination to avenge the 
death of their beloved leader, they fought with desperate 
courage until the enemy were driven back. The loss of their 
brave and able commander was deeply deplored. General 
Washington, in his orders the da}^ after he fell, spoke of 
him as " the gallant and brave Colonel Knowlton, who would 
have been an honor to any country." 

On the 12th of October an advance was made by General 
Howe for the purpose of cutting off Washington's retreat. 
In this he was disappointed ; and the American forces fell 



1776.] FORT WASHINGTON SURRENDERED. 207 

back in good order to White Plains, leaving a garrison to 
hold Fort Washington. At White Plains, after some severe 
fighting, Washington again fell back to a position on high 
ground, near at hand, that was so strong that the British 
general did not dare to attack him. Returning to the upper 
part of Manhattan Island, tlowe made an assault upon Fort 
Washington, and compelled its surrender after heavy losses. 
In the garrison of twenty-six hundred men, who were made 
prisoners of war, were many from Connecticut. They were 
treated with inhuman cruelty. Crowded together in miser- 
able quarters, they suffered from the want of food, water, and 
fresh air. Disease, famine, and brutal treatment ended the 
life of large numbers. Those who survived, told a story of 
almost incredible suffering. 

It was a dark hour in the history of the people that had 
declared but not achieved their independence. The fall of 
Fort Washington made it impossible to hold Fort Lee, and 
the Hudson was open to the British. The American arm}' 
was reduced b}' the return to their homes of many of the 
militia who had enlisted for a short time. The British gen- 
erals were elated by their success, and anticipated a speedy 
end of the conflict. In the midst of these depressing cir- 
cumstances, AVashington stood calm and undismayed. Con- 
fident that the British would soon march in the direction of 
Philadelphia, he left only a few troops on the shore of the 
Hudson above New York, and with the main body of his 
army started for New Jersey. No sooner had Washington 
left his encampment than he was followed by Lord Corn- 
wallis. The American arm}* was now reduced to a little 
remnant of three thousand men. While they continued their 
retreat, in sight, most of the time, of the pursuing enemy, 
Washington sent messages in every direction, calling for 
more troops. The country was thoroughly alarmed. Con- 
gress deemed discretion the better part of valor, and was 
preparing to leave Philadelphia. In this dark hour Trum- 



208 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l777. 

bull stood undisinay ed, and said for Connecticut and himself, 
'• We are determined to maintain our cause to the last ex- 
tremity." 

Determined to strike a blow that would help to restore the 
confidence of the people as well as his army, Washington 
crossed the Delaware, above Trenton, on Christmas night, 
and attacked a body of several hundred Hessians posted 
there. The surprise was complete. General Rail, their 
commander, was mortally wounded ; and after a sharp and 
desperate charge of the Continental forces, they surrendered. 
Nearl}^ a thousand men, with a large number of guns and 
cannon, were taken. Eight days later the battle of Princeton 
was fought, and the regiments left there by Cornwallis com- 
pletely routed. 

The enemy had been driven from every post it had occu- 
l)ied in New Jersey, except Brunswick and Amboy ; and 
Philadelphia was once more safe. The army spent the win- 
ter at Morristown, and there was little fighting for several 
months. During the following summer, the English fleet and 
army sailed from New York, and appeared in the Chesapeake. 
Washington hastened to meet it, and the battle of Brandy- 
wine was fought. The Americans were forced to retire, and 
the British advanced towards Philadelphia. After a sharp 
attack on the enemy at Germantown, Washington withdrew 
to \'alley Forge, and Lord Howe occupied Philadelphia. 

The memorable victory of the summer of 1777 was won in 
the north, — a victory in which Connecticut soldiers acted an 
honorable part. The English general, Burgoyne, with eight 
thousand men and a large number of Indians, came down 
from St. John, New Brunswick, with the purpose of attack- 
ing Albany, and cutting off New England from the other 
colonies. Ticonderoga was taken ; and General Schuyler, 
who was in command of the northern department, fell back 
to Fort Edward. The country was filled with alarm at the 
progress of the British, and re-enforcements began to pour in 



1777. 



BORGOYNE S SURKENDER. 



209 



to the American cump. Burgoyne was delayed after his vic- 
curies Dy the bridges having been destroyed, and the roads 
obstructed. The tide began to turn, and in several skir- 
mishes the advantage was with the Americans. A battle 
was fought on the 19th of September, in which the Ameri- 
cans sadly crippled the British force. On the 7th of October 
Burgoyne again advanced, 
and, after a hard fight, was 
driven back in disorder to his 
camp. The following day he 
retreated towards Saratoga ; 
and on the 17th of October 
his army of more 
than five thou- 
sand men laid 
down their arms, 
and were sent as 
prisoners of war 
to Boston. 

Among other 
Connecticut offi- 
cers who acted a 
worthy part in 
this memorable 
campaign, was 
Captain Moses 
Seymour of Litchfield, who commanded a company of cavalry. 
During the night that followed the last battle between Gage 
and Burgoyne, Captain Seymour watched with a British officer 
who had been severely wounded, and carried from the field. 
As he entered the room, the officer eagerly inquired of him as 
to the fate of the day. When told that the British had been 
defeated, he remarked, "Then, the contest is no longer doubt- 
ful : America will be independent." The prophecy of the 
dying soldier was to become the truth of history. When the 




BATTLEFIELDS OF THE REVOLUTION. 



210 



HISTOIIV OF CONNECTICUT. 



[1777. 



tidiugs of the hiirrender of Burgoyne reached England, 
many of her leading statesmen lost hope of saving the colo- 
nies ; and this great victory hastened the alliance by which 
France g-ave her aid to America. 



1 While the army was at New 
York, experiments, under the eye of Put- 
nam, were made with an invention of 
David Bushneli, a native of Westbrook, 
that failed to accomplish what was 
desired, only by a combination of un- 
fortunate circumstances. Mr. Bushneli, 
while a student at Yale, in 1771, sug- 
gested the idea of attacking a vessel 
underneath the water, and constructed 
a submarine boat capable of this service. 
" It was a boat," says Colonel Henry 
L. Abbott of the United-States Army, 
" 80 constructed as to be capable of be- 
ing propelled at any depth below the 
surface of the water, and of being ele- 
vated or depressed at pleasure; to this 
was attached a magazine of powder, 
designed to be secured by a screw to the 
oottom of a ship; when the magazine 
should be disengaged from the boat, cer- 
tain machinery was to be set in motion, 
which would cause it to explode at any 
desired time. Fulton simply improved 
apon and developed Bushnell's offensit^e 
machines, but he originated the method 
of operation now known as Oefensive 
torpedo warfare; and Samuel Colt, by 
introducing electricity as the agent for 



igniting the charges, rendered it poeeible 
to perfect both classes of torpedoes. To 
these three men we owe more than to 
any others the inauguration of this new 
and important mode of maritime war. 
fare, which, by strengthening the hands 
of the weak, has done, and is doing, 
much to justify the sentiment inscribed 
by Fulton upon the titlepage of his first 
treatise upon torpedo warfare : ' The 
Liberty of the Seas will be the Hap 
piness of the Earth.' " Bushneli called 
his torpedo-boat " The American Tur. 
tie." In December, 1777, he set afloat, 
in the Delaware River, some torpedoes 
in kegs, that demolished one British ves- 
sel. The fright they caused is celebrated 
in Hopkinson's poem, ••The Battle of 
the Kegs." 

~ Captain Hale was twenty-one years 
of age at the time of his death, Sept. 22, 
1776. The tradition that Hale was dis- 
covered in the British camp, and betrayed 
by a Tory relative, is not accepted by 
Stuart, Lossing, and others, who have 
made special investigations as to the 
truth of the story. Rev. Edward E. 
Hale, D.D., a kinsman of Captain Hale. 
believes the tradition to be false. 



The birthday of Nathan Hale (June 6, 1755), was chosen as the date of the 
In-centennial of the town of East Haddam, celebrated in 1900. The little school- 
house in M hich Hale taught after graduating from Yale College was presented to the 
Connecticut Society Sons of Revolution by the New York Sons of Revolution. The 
house was moved to a plot of ground on a bluflf overlooking the town and the river. 
Ex-Governor Bulkeley purchased some of the surrounding land and gave it to be 
owed for and opened to the public as the Nathan Hale Memorial Park. 



1777.1 THE WAR IN CONNECTICUT. 211 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 

1777. 

BURNING OF DANBURY, 

HAVING followed the fortunes of the American army 
during a part of the j^ear 1777, let us now recall the 
story of less important events, but of great local interest in 
the history of Connecticut. 

Lord Howe, before leaving New York, determined to de- 
stroy a quantity of military stores that he had been informed 
were deposited at Daubury. For this purpose a detached 
corps of eighteen hundred men, and a small number of dra- 
goons, were put in command of Governor Tryon, who had 
been appointed a major-general of provincials. The vessels 
in which they embarked from New York cast anchor in 
Saugatuck Harbor late in the afternoon of the 25th of 
April. Under the guidance of two Tories they started 
for Danbury. They marched about eight miles that night, 
and encamped in the limits of the present township of 
AVeston. 

On the following morning they resumed their march, meet- 
ing with no opposition until they began the ascent of Hoyt's 
Hill, near the village of Bethel. At this point a solitary 
horseman appeared at the top of the hill, and looking back, 
as if an army were close at hand, he rose in his stirrups, and, 
waving his sword, exclaimed in a voice of thunder, " Halt the 
ivhole universe! break off by kingdoms! '' General Tryon 
commanded his men to halt, and sent out two detachments 



212 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l777. 

Oil the right and left to reconnoitre, and at the same time 
got two of his field-pieces in position. The scouts soon re- 
turned with the report that the onl}^ person in sight was the 
horseman whose shout had disturbed them, and who was now 
making good his escape. The troops reached Danbur}' in 
the afternoon. Soon after entering the village, four young 
men in the house of Major Starr were rash enough to fire 
upon the Phiglish infantry, who at once pursued and shot 
them. The bodies were thrown into the house, which was 
immediately set on fire. 

The work of pillage and destruction now commenced in 
earnest, and large quantities of public stores were removed 
to the street and burned. The soldiers drank so freely of 
liquor which they found in one of the buildings, that many of 
them were in a condition of beastl}* intoxication. The next 
morning was the sabbath, but Tryon gave orders to continue 
the work of firing the dwellings and business places of all 
persons except those who were known to be loyal to the king. 
The Congregational church, the largest and most expensive 
building in the place, was burned to the ground, with a large 
portion of the homes and stores of the village. The houses 
that escaped the torch of the British soldiei"s were marked 
with a white cross, to signify that those who owned them were 
Tor}' sympathizers. 

Having finished the work of destruction that left innocent 
women and children without food or shelter, the enemy hur- 
ried from the town. By this time the militia of the neigh- 
borincr towns were s^atherino- with the venerable General 
Wooster as their leader. Arnold and Sullivan, with foui 
hundred men, had come from the Hudson by a rapid march. 
Although Tryon returned b}' another route, he found himself 
confronted by the Connecticut troops at Ridgefield. With a 
little company of two hundred men, Wooster hung on the 
rear of the British. While cheering his men b}' word and 
action, he fell at their head mortallv wounded. At a point 



1777.] THE FIGHT AT RIDGEFIELD. 218 

farther on, in the village street, Arnold threw up a barricade, 
and bravely held his position until it was turned. His horse 
was shot under him, and a soldier advanced upon him with 
fixed bayonet ; but he quickly extricated himself, and, drawing 
his pistol, shot his assailant, while he escaped unhurt. That 
night the British lay on their arms about a mile south of the 
village. At daybreak on Monday they hurried towards the 
Sound, and only escaped another encounter with the Connec- 
ticut men by fording the Saugatuck River, and running to a 
high hill a half-mile away from where their vessels lay, off 
Norwalk. Congress voted money to build a monument to 
Wooster ; and, at the request of Washington, Arnold was 
made a major-general, and also given ''a horse caparisoned 
as a token of their approbation of his gallant conduct." 

It was not until the British troops were embarked, and sail- 
ing towards New York, that they felt safe from the attacks, 
of the Connecticut militiamen. In a short time these pa- 
triots retaliated in another way. Learning through General 
Parsons that a large quantity of military stores had been 
gathered at Sag Harbor for the use of the British army, 
Return Meigs of Guilford determined to destroy them. He 
secured a few whale-boats, and sailed from Sachem's Head 
on the 23d of May with one hundred and seventy men. 
About midnight they reached a point on the Long-Island shore 
some four miles from Sag Harbor. Just as the}^ were pre- 
pared to seize the guard who were in charge of the military 
store, the alarm was given, and a schooner that was near at 
hand opened a brisk fire. Colonel Meigs at once began an 
attack, in which most of the guard were taken prisoners. 
He destroyed ten loaded transports, and l)urned one vessel 
of six or eight guns, besides destroying a large amount of 
hay, grain, and merchandise. At two in the afternoon, 
twenty-four hours from the time they started, they reached 
(4uilford with ninety prisoners, and without the loss of a 
single man. An elegant sword was given to Meigs by Con- 



214 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l777. 

gress in recognition of his bold and suecessfnl raid : and 
Wasliington promoted Sergeant Ginnings for special merit in 
the part he acted in this expedition. 

The Continental army in 1777 was divided into three de- 
partments. The first division, consisting of the troops south 
of the Hudson, was under Washington ; General Schuyler 
commanded the northern department ; while the third, under 
General Putnam, was stationed in the Highlands of the Hud- 
son. AVhen tidings came of the taking of Ticonderoga by 
Burgoyue, Washington ordered two Massachusetts brigades 
in the Highlands to join the forces of General Schuyler ; and 
after Lord Howe sailed from New York, he ordered one of 
the Connecticut brigades, and one from Rhode Island, to come 
to Penns3'lvania. This left Putnam with a single Connecticut 
brigade and a New- York regiment. Having established his 
headquarters at Peekskill, he did all that he could to protect 
life and pi'opert}' from the barbarous raids of the Britisli 
soldiers, who still remained in New York. Governor Tryon 
was very anxious to take Putnam as a captive, and was lavish 
in his promises of reward to any one who would accomplish 
this purpose. In spite of Putnam's vigilance, a Tory officer 
by tiie name of Palmer found his way into the American 
camp, but was detected, tried, and condemned as a spy. 
Tryon used every effort to save the life of the prisoner. In 
a letter to Putnam he threatened direst vengeance in case of 
any harm befalling one of the king's commissioned officers. 
The reply of the American general was characteristic, and 
read as follows : — 

"'Sir, — Nathan Palmer, a lieutenant in your king^s service, was 
taken in my camp as a spy. lie was tried as a spy, he was condemned 
as a spy, and you may rest assured, sir, he shall be hanged as a spy. 

1 have the honor to be, etc., 

ISRAEL PUTNAM. 

nis Excellency, Governor Tryon. 

P.S. —Afternoon. He is hansed." 



1777.] FORT MONTGOMERY SURRENDERED. 215 

The arrival of fresh troops at New York from England 
made Putnam feel uneasy. With a single brigade in the 
field, and only a regiment at Fort Montgomery, he could do 
but little if the British forces were to march against him. 
He wrote to Washington, but he could do nothing more than 
authorize him to call out the militia. On the 5th of October, 
Sir Henry Clinton, with three thousand men, sailed up the 
Hudson, and moved towards Fort Montgomery. The courier 
who was sent from the fort to Putnam, with a letter asking for 
re-enforcements, proved to be a Tory renegade, and did not 
deliver it. Climbing the mountains in the rear of the fort, 
the British troops made a vigorous assault. Putnam by this 
time was aware of the situation, but the brave men whom 
he sent from his camp could do nothing in the face of so 
large an arm}'. At evening the fort was surrendered, after 
most of the garrison had contrived to escape. 

Before the close of the year, Putnam, under the directions 
of Washington, selected a site for a new fort. The place 
chosen was West Point ; and during the month of January 
the first Connecticut brigade, in command of General Par- 
sons, threw up the first embankment of the fortifications, of 
what was afterwards called the " American Gibraltar." 

The army at Valley Forge passed a winter of great suffer- 
ing ; but the tidings of the alliance with France came just 
before the opening of spring, and revived the hope and 
courage of Washington and his soldiers. The British 
evacuated Philadelphia on the 18th of June, and, having 
crossed the Delaware, marched in the direction of New York. 
Washington at once started in pursuit, and overtook them at 
Monmouth Court-House. The battle fought at this place 
opened favorably for the Americans, but General Lee's 
disobedience of orders threw the troops into confusion. 
Washington, after a stormy scene with the recreant officer, 
stopped the retreat, and repulsed the British ; but the victory 
was not decisive. The French fleet had arrived off Sand}' 



216 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l778. 

Hook ; but Admiral D'Estaing, believing that there was not 
sufficient water to admit his entrance to the harbor of New 
York, sailed for Newport. This place was held by a British 
force of six thousand men, under General Pigot. General 
Sullivan was directed to co-operate with the French fleet, and 
a call was made upon Connecticut for militia to aid in tliis 
enterprise. On the 10th of August, the American army, ten 
thousand strong, landed on the north side of the island. By 
an unfortunate misunderstanding, Sullivan advanced sooner 
than the French admiral expected ; and in the interval of 
delay, Lord Howe, with the English fleet, appeared ofl" the 
harbor. D'Estaing attempted to draw the British into battle ; 
but they avoided him, and a storm scattered both fleets. 
When the French ships returned, their admiral decided to sail 
for Boston for repairs. Sullivan was determined to fight, 
and advanced on the '29th of August against the enemy. 
His troops fought well, but after a sharp contest were driven 
back. The retreat to the main land was safely effected ; but 
the Americans felt, that if the French had co-operated with 
them, as promised, they could easily have driven the British 
from the island. 

The year was one of care and anxiety throughout Connecti- 
cut. The Legislature was almost constantly in session ; 
and besides the troops that were raised to recruit the general 
army, a large number of men were sent to defend the towns 
along the coast. P^very thing in the power of the State was 
done to meet the expenses of the war, and do justice to her 
soldiers ; but the depreciation of the Continental currency' 
was already the cause of great suffering and loss. A Rev- 
olutionary soldier, Elisha Mason, who died at Litchfield in 
1858, in the one-hundredth year of his age, often related the 
stor}^ of his experience after having been paid off in Conti- 
nental currency. After his discharge he started homeward 
from the Hudson. Having spent the night at Danbury, he 
attempted to settle his bill with the money he had just re- 



1778-79. 



THE ENCAMPMENT AT TtKCDING. 



217 



ceived for his array services. This was refused, although he 
offered bills to the amount of forty dollars for his food and 
lodgings. As his wages were but eight dollars a month, he 
thus proposed to give the amount he had received for five 
months for his keeping for a single night. Mr. Mason was^ 
finall}' compelled to pawn his rifle to satisfy the demands of 
the landlord. This incident of personal experience illus- 
trates a form of loss and suffering that put the patriotism of 
the people to the severest test. 

Late in the autumn of 1778, General Putnam removed his 
army from White Plains and Peekskill, to Redding. * While 
here, the soldiers suffered 
so much from the want of 
proper food and clothing, 
that some of the more 
restive spirits persuaded 
the Connecticut brigades 
to plan a march to Hart- 
ford^ and demand redress 
of the Legislature. They 
were actually under arms 
for this purpose when 
Putnam galloped up to the camp. His earnest words soon 
brought them to their senses ; and when he gave orders, 
for them to shoulder arms, and march to their regimental 
quarters, they obeyed promptly, and with good humor. 

In February, Governor Tryon, at the head of a strong 
detachment of British soldiers, left his quarters at Kings- 
bridge, and marched for Horse Neck, intending to destroy 
the Salt Works in that neighborhood. Horse Neck was an 
outpost of Putnam's forces ; and the day Governor Tr^'oii 
started on his rakl, the Connecticut general chanced to be 
there. A scouting-party, sent out by Putnam, came in sight 
of the enemy at New Rochelle : they retired to Rye Neck, 
and here they were seen in the earh' morning, and attacked 




CONTINENTAL MONEY 



1218 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l779. 

by the British. Captain Watson, with his little band of 
thirty men, defended himself as best he could while retreating 
to Horse Neck. Putnam had here gathered what forces he 
could muster, and planted a cannon on the brow of the hill 
near the meeting-house. He held the enemy in check for 
some time with his solitary field-piece ; but finding that he 
was far outnumbered, he gave orders for his men to retire 
through a swamp, and form on a hill some distance awa\'. 
Lingering until the enemy were close at hand, and finding 
himself almost surrounded, he gave spurs to his horse, and 
plunged at full gallop down a precipitous hill in front of him. 
This declivity was so steep that it was furnished with more 
than a hundred stone steps to accommodate those who 
climbed it. The British dragoons did not dare to follow. 
One of the shots that was fired at him, passed through his 
hat ; Dut he escaped safel}', and soon rallied a bod}^ of militia, 
and returned to Horse Neck. ' Finding that the enemy were 
on the way back to New York, he started in pursuit, and 
succeeded in taking about fift}' prisoners, besides an ammu- 
nition wagon, and a baggage wagon filled with plunder, 
which Putnam was able to restore to the rightful owners. 

1 Putnam Memorial Park, in the ^ '' A granite boulder monument 

tovTO of Redding, is an interesting ill us- bearing a tablet and inscription, was 

tration of the private and civic gifts that placed in 1900 on the historic hill to mark 

in recent years have sought to preserve the locality of Putnam's remarkable feat. 

and commemorate places of historic in- The memorial emphasizes -with vivid re- 

terest. The Park covers the site of the ality that although, on the one hand, the 

camp occupied by tlie soldiers whom exploit has been disputed by some writers 

Putnam commanded in the winter of of Revolutionary events, and on the other 

1778-79. A monument has been erected hand, has been romantically exagger- 

by the State. Near by are blockhouses ated in story-books and in numberless 

and log houses in imitation of those that quaint drawings, paintings, and prints, 

were built for the use of the camp, and a still Putnam's ride is well authenticated, 

long double line of stones in heaps marks and can continue to be a favorite tale 

the places where the fireplaces stood iu concerning the intrepid hero.— Zisinf/s- 

the rude huts. ton\^ Israel Putnam, pp. 392-393. 



1778.] WYOMING. 219 



CHAPTER XXXV. 

1778-1779. 

THE SETTLEMENT OF WYOMING. 

IN the charter given by Charles II., the bounds of Con- 
necticut included all of the territory from Narragansett 
Bay to the Pacific. As the Dutch had before this taken 
])ossession of the territory' of New York, Connecticut did 
not seek to establish any right to tliat country, but claimed 
the lands lying west of it. A beautiful valley on the upper 
waters of the Susquehanna had attracted the admiration of 
adventurous explorers ; and a company was formed to pur- 
chase and settle this spot, where Nature had been so lavish 
in her charms. A band of men from Connecticut visited 
the Wyoming Valle}' in 1762. They returned home, and the 
following spring brought their families with them. They 
were rejoicing in the fruits of an abundant harvest, when, 
on the 15th of October, they were startled by an Indian 
war-whoop. In the attack that followed, twenty men were 
killed and scalped. The rest of the settlers fled to the 
mountains, and after many hardships found their way back 
to Connecticut. In 1769 a much larger company started for 
Wyoming, having received special encouragement from the 
colonial authorities. By this time three officers with several 
men had taken possession of the valley, under a lease from 
the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, by which they agreed to 
establish an Indian trading-house, and defend the country 
from foreiofn mtruders. This was the beginnins: of a conflict 



220 HISTORY OF COiNNECTICUT. [l778. 

of rights, which was not settled until 1786, when the dis- 
puted territory was given to Pennsylvania, and Connecticut, 
received a valuable tract of land in Ohio that was afterwards^ 
known as the Connecticut Reserve. 

There were frequent encounters between the Pennsylvania 
authorities and the Connecticut settlers up to the time of the 
Revolution. When the war broke out, many of them enlisted 
in the ranks of the Continental army. This left the settle- 
ments in a more defenceless condition ; but abundant harvests- 
were gathered, and in the spring of 1 778 a large amount of 
grain was furnished for the army. About this time it was 
rumored that the British and Indians were preparing to in- 
vade the valley. The news was confirmed in several ways, 
and the frightened settlers sent word to their friends in the 
army to return home at once. All but two of the commis- 
sioned officers from W3^oming resigned, and hastened home- 
ward to protect their families. Congress delaj^ed to send 
help until it was too late. While the enemy were concen- 
trating their forces, the women and children fled from their 
homes to the rude forts that had been built at several points. 

The work of death soon commenced. A number of 
settlers in the upper part of the valle}^ were murdered while 
laboring in their fields, and two of the forts in that neigh- 
borhood were given up. The brave sons and daughters of 
Connecticut refused to surrender at the bidding of the British 
commander, and they determined to attack the enemy. On 
the 3d of July their little army, under Colonel Zebulon 
Butler, consisting of hardly more than three hundred per- 
sons, began their march up the river. The British rangers 
and their Indian allies at first pretended to retreat ; but as 
the villagers of Wyoming advanced, and opened fire, they 
were suddenly attacked by a party of savages in their rear, 
who sprang from their ambush, and threw them into cod 
fusion. A horrible massacre followed, and only about sixty 
of the brave band of Connecticut men escaped death. More 



1778.] MASSACRE AT WYOMING. . 221 

than one-half of all the able-bodied men in the valley had 
been killed. AVhen the tidings of the terrible defeat reached 
their families, near at hand, many of the helpless women 
and children fled to the forests, and others sought refuge 
in Fort Wyoming. Pen cannot picture the sufferings and 
sorrows of the heart-broken band of widowed mothers and 
their fatherless children, who found their way back to Con- 
necticut through the wilderness. In a single company, 
there were about a hundred women and children, with only 
one man to guide or aid them. Those who fled to the forts, 
after their surrender, were in many cases murdered with fiend- 
ish cruelties. Among the saddest incidents of these terrible 
days was the unnatural hate that made the Tory sympathizers, 
among the settlers, guilty of the most inhuman actions to- 
wards their neighbors and nearest relatives. 

It was not long before a fort was again built in the 
valley, and a few Connecticut families returned to their 
old homes. Again and again the Indian war-whoop startled 
them, as some fatal shot sped on its way. As the days 
went on, and life and property became more secure, the 
number of settlers increased. After the Revolution, the old 
controvers}^ between Connecticut and Pennsylvania broke out 
anew, and continued until the final decision that made the 
beautiful valley of Wyoming a part of the latter Common- 
wealth. The song and story that recall the tragedies of 
its early settlement will always associate its hills and vales 
with the history of Connecticut. 

Towards the close of 1778 the most active movements of 
the war were taking place in the South. Colonel Campbell, 
in command of two thousand British troops, landed in Geor- 
gia, and captured Savannah. The colony again came under 
English rule ; but her borders were the scene of terrible civil 
strifes between the strong Tory class, and the brave patriots 
whose hearts and lives were consecrated to the cause of 
freedom. With the exception of New York, there was no 



222 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l779. 

section where the Tory party was as powerful as in the 
South. They were to be found everywhere ; and some of 
the most bitter and violent lived within the bounds of Con- 
necticut, but the vigilant watch that was kept over them 
gave them little opportunity for mischief. The Connecticut 
Tories had a hard time in many ways, and the general feel- 
ing of the people against them was such that their lives and 
property were not always safe. In the South their number 
was so great that they often came into open conflict with 
their patriot neighI)ors. 

While the centre of the war had shifted a long way from 
New England, Connecticut was not left in peace. The raid 
which Governor Tryon made in the latter part of February, 
1779, as far as Horse Neck, was followed during the sum- 
mer by frequent incursions along the shores of the Sound. 
On the 5th of July the British fleet from New York cast 
anchor off West Haven, having on board some three thou- 
sand troops, in command of Tryon. About fifteen hundred 
of the force landed at sunrise, and marched towards New 
Haven. A little company of militia and citizens rallied, and 
stationed several field-pieces at the bridge leading to West 
Haven. They held their position with such determination 
that the British o-eneral decided to make a lono- circuit of 
several miles, and enter the town by the Derby road. They 
did not accomplish this without being hai'assed by a con- 
tinual fire from the militia. 

Meanwhile the other division of the British troops, com- 
manded by Governor Tryon, had landed on the east side of 
New-Haven Harbor. The fort at Black Rock was soon 
taken, but the little garrison of nineteen men made good their 
retreat. After the enemy entered the town, the soldiers 
robbed the inhabitants of every thing they could lay their 
hands upon. Some families lost nearly all their houses 
contained, and suffered for the want of food and clothing. 
Early on the following morning the enemy unexpectedly and 



1779.] tryon's raid. 223^ 

quietly withdrew to their boats, taking with them a number 
of citizens as prisoners. Twenty-seven Americans had been 
killed, and nineteen wounded. Among the citizens who 
joined the militia in their attempt to defend the town was 
the x^enerable Dr. Daggett, ex-President of Yale College. He 
was captured near Milford Hill, and treated in a most das- 
tardly mannero Having beaten and robbed him, he was 
driven at the point of the bayonets of insulting soldiers for 
several miles, until his strength was exhausted. 

From New Haven the British fleet sailed for Fairfield. 
They landed on the morning of the 8th of July, and, after 
plundering the village, kindled a conflagration before sun- 
down, that did not cease until most of the dwellings, 
churches, and other buildings, were burned to the ground. 
The crackling of the flames, mingled with the " cries of dis- 
tressed women and helpless children," made the night terri- 
ble. From Fairfield the British marched to Green's Farms, 
and destroyed a large amount of property. Crossing the 
Sound, the enemy remained in Huntington Bay until the 
11th of July. They then sailed for Norwalk, and destroyed 
the entire village, with the exception of a few houses belong- 
ing to Tories. Before this time Washington had learned 
of the raid along the defenceless coast of Connecticut ; and 
he directed General Parsons, then in command at the High- 
lands of the Hudson, to hasten thither. In command of a 
small body of Continental troops, and a considerable force 
of Connecticut militia, he reached Norwalk a few hours after 
the British had landed there. He was unable to prevent 
the destruction of the town, but harassed the enemy in 
many ways, who soon after returned to Huntington Bay, 
and from there returned to New York. 

On the 15th of July, General Anthony Wayne made a 
t>rilliant assault upon Stony Point, on the Hudson, and cap- 
tured the fort with five hundred men, besides cannon and 
supplies. The British had erected a fort at Lloyd's Neck. 



224 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l77« 

on Long Island, and garrisoned it with about five hundred 
soldiers. Again and again companies from this fort had 
crossed over to the Connecticut' shore, and plundered de- 
fenceless homes. Major Tallmadge, honored with the 
special confidence of AVashington, determined to destroy 
this stronghold of the enemy. On the night of the 5th of 
September he embarked near Stamford with a picked body 
of one hundred and thirty men. He reached Lloyd's Neck 
near midnight, and, quietly landing his men, made an attack 
upon the fort, that took the garrison completely by surprise. 
They at once surrendered, and before morning were landed 
in Connecticut as prisoners of war. 

Washington planned an attack on New York, and called 
for twelve thousand militia from Connecticut. When this 
project was finally given up!, the militia were disbanded, and 
the army, under the commander-in-chief, went into wniter 
quarters at Morristown, N.J. During a brief interval of 
quiet, in the autumn, General Putnam visited his home at 
Pomfret. In December he started to join the army. He 
was overtaken by illness, and compelled to stop when he 
reached Hartford. The disability proved permanent ; and 
from this time until his death, on the 29th of May, 1790, he 
was compelled to retire from active service. 

The personality of few men has filled as prominent a 
j)lace in the history of Connecticut as that of Israel Putnam. 
Honest, brave, and generous in spirit, he was the embodi- 
ment of energv, and possessed a presence of mind fertile 
in expedients, that made him a grand leader in hazardous 
enterprises. His brilliant militar}^ services during the French 
wars prepared him to act the part he did in the battle of 
Bunker Hill. The exhausting labors of that day, no doubt, 
hastened disabilities, incident to advancing years, that made 
him less efficient in further active, service. Honored and be- 
loved, the closing j^ears of his life were spent in the quiet of 
Jiis home, where he was often visited by old comrades in arms. 



1780.1 WASHINGTON AT HARTFORD. 225 



CHAPTER XXXVI. 

1780-1781. 

WASHINGTON AT HARTFORD AND WETHERSFIELD. 

THE year 1780 was one of great depression and anxiety to 
those who were at the head of American affairs. Sir 
Henry Clinton, with an army of eight thousand men, sailed 
from New York, and after a stormy passage reached Georgia 
in the latter part of January. Sending to New York for 
additional troops, he advanced towards Charleston, where Lin- 
coln was in command of the Continental army. The British 
fleet passed Fort Moultrie in safety, while Clinton attacked 
the city from the land side. On the 12th of May, Lincoln 
surrendered, and the town fell into the hands of the enemy. 
Clinton soon returned to New York, leaving the British army 
in command of Lord Cornwallis. At the North, there had 
been great suffering in the American camp during the winter, 
and the general outlook was dark and discouraging. The 
action of France brought new hope.^ Early in July, Ad- 
miral de Ternay, with a squadron of ten ships-of-war, con- 
voying a detachment of about six thousand men in command 
of Rochambeau, arrived in the harbor of Newport. On the 
18th of September, Washington left his headquarters at 
Tappan on the Hudson for Hartford, attended by Lafayette 
and Hamilton. Here, in the presence of Governor Trum- 
bull and other officers, he held his first interview with the 
French general. The meeting was one of mutual satisfac- 
tion and pleasure. The progress of Washington through 



226 HISTOKV OF CONNECTICUT. [t78\. 

the towns of Couoeeticut called out throngs of people who 
expressed their regard in every possible way. The chil- 
dren even pressed about him, and called him their father. 
Turning to the French aid who had accompanied him a day's 
journey on his return, he said, " We may be beaten by the 
English in the field ; it is the lot of arms : but see there the 
a.rmy which they will never overcome." 

On reaching the Hudson, AYashington repaired to West 
Point, and there learned of the treachery of Benedict Ar- 
nold. The story of the treason of this wretched man, and 
the capture and hanging of Andre as a spy, is one of the 
most familiar and tragic of Revolutionary times. Ph3-si- 
cally courageous, and intellectually gifted, Arnold was un- 
principled, and cowardly at heart. The honorable service 
rendered in behalf of his country in the early part of the 
war, is lost in the dark record of shame and blood that has 
made his name a synonyme for all that is base and contempt- 
ible in human conduct. 

The capture of Charleston, the treason of Arnold, and a 
condition of affairs in the American camp that required all of 
the wisdom and skill of Washington to keep the troops from 
breaking into open revolt, proved to be the darkness brood- 
ing over the horizon just before the morning of victory and 
deliverance. On the 21st of May Washington again came to 
Connecticut, and met Rochambeau at Wethersfield, where 
thej^ arranged the details of the campaign that ended in the 
surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown. Before that victory 
was won, Connecticut suffered in a most distressing manner 
at the hands of the miserable traitor who had been born 
upon her soil. 

Arnold had been sent by Sir Henry Clinton to Virginia 
with a small body of British soldiers. Among other das- 
tardly acts, he burned the city of Richmond. AVashington 
had arranged a plan by which he hoped to capture the inso- 
lent traitor. The advance of Cornwallis broke up this de- 



1781.] ARNOLD ATTACKS NEW LONDON. 227 

sign, as the English general sent Arnold back to New York. 
Clinton ordered him to make an attack on New London. 
There is reason to believe that the work was undertaken at 
the suggestion of Arnold. His boyhood had been spent in 
the neighborhood, and he knew that the place was compara- 
tively defenceless. It was his purpose to enter the harbor 
in the night, and destroy the stores, merchandise, and ship- 
ping gathered there, before the militia could have time to 
rally. Owing to contrary winds, the British fleet did not 
reach the mouth of the Thames as soon as they expected ; 
and it was ten o'clock on the morning of the 6th of Septem- 
ber, before Arnold was able to land his troops. They were 
sent ashore in two divisions. Eight hundred were landed on 
the Groton side of the river, under command of Lieutenant- 
Colonel Eyre ; and nine hundred, led by Arnold, landed on 
the western, or New Loudon, side. By this time the alarm 
had been given, and every possible preparation made to 
defend the town. While panic-stricken families were seeking 
shelter in the woods near at hand, an effort was made to 
save the shipping by cutting the vessels loose, and sending 
them up the river. For a time the wind and tide were ad- 
verse, but later in the day some of the most valuable ships 
were saved. 

Colonel Ledyard, in command of the forts, having done all 
in his pov/er to call out the militia, and give the neighboring 
towns warning of the situation, decided to repair to Fort 
Griswold, and there make as strong a stand as he could 
against the enemy. As he started to cross the ferr}' at New 
London, he remarked to the friends who had gathered to 
wish him success, " If I must lose to-day honor or life, you, 
who know me, can tell which it will be." 

Arnold, after landing his troops near the lighthouse, 
marched at once in the direction of Fort Trumbull. This 
fortification was then but a rude and imperfect breastwork 
mounted with a few cannon. FoUowins: the orders of 



228 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l781. 

Colonel Ledyaid, the little garrison of twenty-three men, in 
eominiuul of Captain Shapley, did not attempt to defend the 
place against the detachment of soldiers that Arnold sent to 
dislodge them. Having fired a single volley, they spiked 
the guns ; and withdrawing in good order, they embarked in 
whale-boats, crossing the river so near the British ships that 
seven of their number were wounded by musket-shots from 
their decks. 

Arnold's progress was contested at two or three points by 
some skirmishing parties, but they could do but little : and 
the traitor soon found himself in the streets of the beautiful 
and prosperous seaport village with which he had long been 
familiar. Almost in sight of his birthplace, and amid the 
scenes of boyhood memories, he gave orders to kindle a 
conflagration that soon reduced to ashes the most valuable 
part of the town. Before this he had received information 
that led him to suppose that Fort Griswold could be easily 
taken ; and he had sent a messenger to Colonel Eyre, order- 
ing him to march forward, and begin an attack. After en- 
tering New London, Arnold found that the fort held so 
strong a position that he sent another officer to countermand 
his first order. The officer arrived a few minutes too late. 
For the second time Colonel Eyre had sent a flag and a 
summons for the surrender of the fort, with the added threat, 
that, if it became necessary to storm the works, '' martial 
law should be put in force." 

^•We shall not surrender, let the consequences be what 
the}^ may," was the ansv/er of Colonel Ledyard. The enemy 
having formed in solid columns, under cover of tiie hills that 
protected them from the guns of the fort, moved forward 
with a quick step. A small party of the garrison from the 
outside fired a single round at the approaching columns, and 
then retired within the fort. Colonel Ledyard gave orders that 
not a gun should be fired until the enemy were at close range. 
The first shot did such execution, followed, as it was, by 



1781.] 



FORT GRISWOLD. 



229 



volley after volley, that the British officers, with great dif- 
ficulty, were able to rally their men. Colonel Eyre was 
seriously wounded, and carried from the field. Major Mont- 
gomery, at the head of his detachment, gained the redoubt 
on the east side of the fort, and, having taken possession of 
the ditch, attempted to ascend the rampart. This was quite 
Jiigh, and strongly guarded by projecting pickets. The only 
way the soldiers could get up, was by climbing upon each 
other's shoulders, and then wrench away the pickets, or 




GROTON MONUMENT. 



struggle up between them. No sooner was a head thrust 
above the rampart, than it became a target for some musket 
vv'ithin the fort. In spite of the deadly fire, the enemy finally 
succeeded in gaining the rampart, and silencing the gun that 
swept its heights. They now sought to enter the fort with 
fixed bayonets, but were met by the main body of the garri- 
son, some of whom were armed with long, sharp spears, with 
which they fought desperately. Unaccustomed to this sort 
of weapon, the Britisli soldiers hesitated to advance, until 
Major Montgomery threw himself at the front, and urged them 



230 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l781. 

on. At this moment he was mortally wounded by a spear- 
thrust ; and his enraged men, with hoarse cries of vengeance, 
rushed forward. The little band of patriots were unable to 
resist their overpowering numbers. They swept every thing 
before them, and, quickly forcing the gate, crowded within 
the fort, uttering yells of exultation. 

As soon as the enemy had broken down the gate, Colonel 
Ledyard saw that further resistance was useless, and ordered 
liis men to throw down their arms. They obeyed ; but the 
l^ritish still continued to fire upon them from the ramparts, 
while others were stabbed with bayonets. Captain Shapley 
and his little company, ignorant of the surrender, still held 
the south-west bastion. The British now turned the cannon 
of the north bastion upon them. Few escaped the murder- 
ous fire. The south gate was now open ; and, as the other 
division of the British force marched in, they fired by pla- 
toons upon the unresisting garrison. "' Who commands this 
fort? " called out the British officer now in command. '• I 
did, sir; but you do now," said the gallant Ledyard, as he 
advanced, and presented his sword. The brutal officer no 
sooner received it, than he plunged it into his breast. Colo- 
nel Ledyard fell on his face, and instantly expired. Those of 
the garrison who witnessed this horrible murder saw that 
they need not look for quarter. Rall3'ing about the body of 
their dead commander, they fought until one of the British 
officers, sickened by the terrible carnage, cried out, '* Stop! 
stop ! my soul cannot bear such destruction." 

Eighty- five men lay dead in the fort ; and of the sixty 
wounded, onl}^ a few survived. Having hastil}' buried their 
dead, and removed tlieir wounded to a place of safety, the 
British prepared to blow up the fort. Before firing the 
tiahi, they carried some of the most severely wounded among 
the Americans upon boards, and placed them in an ammuni- 
tion wagon, and ordered a company of twenty men to draw 
them down to the shore. The liill was so steep that the 



1781.] FORT GRISWOLD. 231 

loaded wagon soon gained a momentum beyond the control 
of tbe soldiers. Dashing down with increasing speed among 
tlie rocks and other obstructions, it finally struck the trunk 
of an apple-tree near the river's edge. Some of the wounded 
men were instantly killed b}' the shock, and all were more or 
less injured. 

The village of Grotou was set on fire before the enemy 
embarked at sunset, but they waited in vain for the explo- 
sion that was to demolish the fort. They had laid the train 
carefully ; but it was extinguished by Major Peters, who 
rushed into the fort as soon as the British left. 



' Silas Deane, a naUve of Connecti- other parties with whom he was unfor- 

cut and a graduate of Yale College, was tunately connected, he was recalled from 

associated with Benjamin Franklin on Europe, and held responsible for their 

the committee which negotiated the acts. After a vain attempt to recover 

Treaty of Peace with France. He was a his position, and embittered at the wrongs 

man of brilliant qualities of mind, and he felt he had suffered, he returned to 

did a service for his country in bringing Europe, where he died in poverty. In 

to a conclusion difficult negotiations that the light of history, the name of Silas 

for various reasons met with scant rec- Deane is revealed as that of a gifted 

ognition. Through the misconduct of statesman, but unfortunate man. 



232 HISTORY or C0:NNECT1CUT. [1781-83. 



CHAPTER XXXVII. 

1781-1799. 

CONNECTICUT AT THE CLOSE OF THE REVOLUTION. 

nCARCELY a moDth had passed, after the bitrning of New 
O London, and the massacre of the brave defenders of Fort 
Griswold, when events occurred that brought the war to a 
close, and secured the independence of the United States. 
The successes of Lord Cornwallis in the South were checked 
b}' the movements of the American army, under command 
of General Greene. Compelled to fall back on Virginia, 
Cornwtillis intrenched his forces at Yorktown. Washington 
saw his opi)ortunit3', and hastened to strike the decisive 
blow. The French fleet appeared at the mouth of the Chesa- 
peake Bay at the same time Washington, by rapid marclies, 
arrived in front of Yorktown. Cornwallis found himself 
hemmed in on every side. Escape was impossible ; and, on 
the 18th of September, seven thousand British soldiers laid 
down their arms. This victory virtually ended the war. Foi 
a year or more, there was some fighting in the South ; and 
the cities of New Y'ork, Charleston, and Savannah remained 
in the hands of the enemy. On the 3d of September, 1783, 
a treaty was made at Paris, between the English and Amer- 
ican commissioners, b}' which the independence of the col- 
onies was acknowledged, and the United States of America 
became a nation. 

Pearly in November the Revolutionary army was disbanded. 
In proportion to her i)opulation, Connecticut had furnished 



1783.] 



JONATHAN TJIUMJiULL. 



233 



more men in the great struggle for independence than any 
other colony. Massachusetts alone sent a larger number 
into the field. Among the noble men who stood at the head 
of military and civil affairs in Connecticut during the Revo- 
lution, the name of Jonathan Trumbull will always be fore- 
most. The intimate friend of Washington, he proved 




TRCMBrLL HOUSE AND OLD WAR-OFFICE, LEBANON. 



eminentl}" worthy of the honor that was placed upon him, as 
the governor of the State for a period of thirteen years. xVt 
the close of the war, he asked to be relieved of the burden 
and care of official duties, and retired to his ancestral home 
in Lebanon, where he died, August 17, 1785. 

The character of Governor Trumbull was of the noblest 
type. Profoundly religious in sentiment and feeling, liis 
moral convictions were strono- and clear. Under the enliijht- 



2M HISTORY OF CONNECTiCDT. [1783. 

eiiment of Divine truth, lie sought to have a conscience void 
of offence towards God and man. He cherished the prin- 
ciples of civil and religious liberty received from his fathers, 
and upheld them with unfaltering loyalt}" and courage. His 
vision was clear and far-reaching, and at the same time calm 
and steadfast. The words and opinions he expressed, before 
the breaking out of the war of the Revolution, proved pro- 
phetic ; and in the darkest hour of the struggle for freedom, 
he was undismayed and hopeful. Grave in manner, but 
gentle and courteous in all the relations of life, he won the 
love of his fellow-men, and held their respect and confidence 
by his moral courage and discriminating judgment. Blest 
with a vigorous constitution, he toiled unceasingly. There 
was no sacrifice too great for him to make in behalf of the 
cause of freedom. Every other purpose and ambition was 
subservient to the spirit of patriotism, that burned with a 
pure and holy flame in his bosom. 

The relations of Governor Trumbull and AVashington were 
those of close and intimate friendship. Washington leaned 
upon him as his right arm. " Let us consult Brother Jona- 
than," he would say, when any difficult matter was under 
consideration. The remark became so common, that, in a 
spirit of pleasant appreciation of the Connecticut governor, 
he would playfully say, when referring any matter to Con- 
gress, '-Let us consult Brother Jonathan;" and it was in 
this w^ay the nation itself, in familiar phrase, was named 
'' Brother Jonathan." 

In the darkest period of the Revolution, Trumbull never 
lost hope for a moment. He believed that it was the will of 
God that the colonies should gain their independence ; and 
m that faith, he found strength in every hour of adversity. 
At a time when the war was drawing to a close, he writes, 
*' In a series of marvellous occurrences during the present 
w^ar, he must be blind who doth not see the divine ordering 
thereof." 



1784.1 



JONATHAN TRUMBULL. 



235 



In the autumn of 1784 the venerable governor of Connec- 
ticut, rejoicing in the victory that had given peaoe and liberty 
to a new nation, asked the people to release him from further 
service. For more than fifty years he had been in public 
life. In a touching farewell address to the Legislature, he 
said, "Contemplating with pleasing wonder and satisfaction, 
at the close of an arduous contest, the noble and enlarged 
scenes which now present themselves to my country's view, 




TRUMBULL TOMB, LEBA 



and reflecting at the same time on my advanced stage of 
life, — a life worn out, almost, in the constant cares of office, 
— I think it my duty to retire from the busy concern of 
public affairs, that, at the evening of my days, I may sweeten 
their decline, by devoting myself with less avocation, and 
more attention to the duties of religion, the service of my 
God, and preparation for a future and happier state of exist- 
ence ; in which pleasing employment I shall not cease to 
remember my country, and to make it my ardent prayer that 



236 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l787. 

Heaven will not fail to bless her with its choicest favors." 
In this farewell address, he urged upon the people the neces- 
sity of granting to the National Government clearly defined 
powers, sufficient for all the purposes of that union that 
conld alone assure their strength and happiness. The few 
months of life that still remained to this beloved and honored 
servant of the people were spent in congenial employments 
at his home in Lebanon. His death was universally la- 
mented ; and Washington, in a letter to his son/ said, -^A 
long and well-spent life in the service of his country places 
Governor Trumbull among the first of patriots." At the close 
of the Revolution, it was soon evident that a stronger govern- 
ment was necessary than the league formed by the colonies 
in 1777, and under which they had acted during thewar.^ A 
convention was called, to meet in the State House at Phila- 
delphia, in May, 1787. The delegates appointed from Con- 
necticut were William S. Johnson,^ Oliver Ellsworth,'' and 
Roger Sherman. The convention was presided over by Gen- 
eral Washington ; and among the gifted men who took active 
part in the important deliberations, few exerted a greater in- 
fluence by their counsel than the representatives from Con- 
necticut. They were the earnest advocates of a federal, as 
opposed to a more concentrated and central, form of govern- 
ment. After long, and often exciting, debates, the present 
Constitution was adopted on Sept. 17, 1787. Although it 
'' has proved, in its working, a masterpiece of political wis- 
dom," it met with much opposition before it was accepted 
by all of the States. 

Connecticut was among the first to ratify the Constitution. 
At a convention which met in Hartford, Jan. 3, 1788, Oliver 
Ellsworth opened the debate with an address of great 
ability ; and on the 9th of January the Constitution was 
accepted by an overwhelming majority.^ Before the close of 
the year 1788, thirteen of the States had agreed to it, and it. 
went into effect. George AVashingtou was chosen the first. 



1789-95.] 



THE WESTERN RESERVE. 



237 




OLIVER ELLSWOUTU. 



New towns were 



President of the Republic, and John Adams as Vice-Presi- 
dent. The conduct of public affairs was attended with 
many difficulties. The debts incurred during the war pressed 
heavily upon the people, and it was some 
time before the relations of the Govern- 
ment with the leading nations of Europe 
were satisfactorily adjusted. The In- 
dians were still troublesome upon the 
frontier, and American ships suffered 
from the attacks of pirates from the 
coast of North Africa. 

Gradually affairs changed for the bet- 
ter, and Connecticut rejoiced with her 
sister States in the dawn of days of re- 
newed prosperity and peaceful industry.* 
organized, laws passed for the encouragement of manufac- 
tures, and arrangements made for the sale of the Western 
lands that had been reserved by the State in their cession 
to the United States. These lands were situated in the 
northern part of the present State of 
Ohio, and contained about three and 
a half millions of acres. In 1792 the 
Legislature granted five hundred thou- 
sand acres of the western part of this 
tract to citizens of Danbury, Fairfield, 
Norwalk, New London, and Groton, 
to indemnify them for the loss of 
property caused by the burning of 
the towns at the hands of the British 
during the Revolution. The rest of 
this tract was sold in 1795, for twelve 
hundred thousand dollars ; and the Legislature directed that 
it should be held as a permanent fund, the interest of which 
shvould be annually distributed among the several school- 
societies of the State, according to the list of voters and 




AMl'EL fcEAEURY. ».D. 



238 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



[1797. 



the taxable property in each.'' Under careful management, 
this fund has increased until it is now more than two millions 
of dollars. 

The people of Connecticut were ardent admirers of 
Washington, and in sympathy with the principles and policy 
which he represented. Party spirit ran high throughout the 
States.; and upon the retirement of Washington, at the close 
of his second term, John Adams was elected President, by a 
small majority, over Thomas Jefferson, the leader of the 
party that then had but a small following in Connecticut. 
After Adams iiad been President but a short time, France 
refused to receive the ambassadors sent by the United States. 
The war-cloud passed, and a treaty was made with Napoleon 
Bonaparte in 1800. The death of Washington (Dec. 14, 
1799) caused a feeling of universal sorrow, and commem- 
orative services were held in every part of Connecticut. 



'■■ Jonathan Tkumbull (son of tbc 
governor) was born in Lebanon, March 
26. 1740, and graduated at Harvard Col- 
lege in 1759. During the Kevobition, 
until 1778, he was a paymaster in the 
army, and was then appointed secretary 
and first aid to Washington, in whose 
family he remained till the close of the 
war . He was chosen a member of Con- 
gress in 1789, and elected Speaker of that 
body in 1791. He represented the State 
in the Senate for one year, and from 
1798 until his death (Aug. 7, 1809) was 
governor of the State. 

- Congress requested the eight 
States north of Maryland to convene at 
Xew Haven in January, 1778. Their 
deliberations only showed how difficult 
were the questions to be solved. At the 
instance of Massachusetts, a convention 
was held in Hartford in 1780, which ad- 
vised a convention of all of the States 
at Philadelphia, and also suggested an 
impost as a source of revenue. In the 
letter written by Governor Trumbull at 
the close of his official service (1784), he 



called earnest attention to the views- 
expressed by Washington in his Fare- 
well Address, and urged " that the grant 
to the Federal Constitution of powers 
clearly defined, ascertained, and under- 
stood, and sufficient for all the great 
purposes of union, could alone lead from 
the danger of anarchy to national hap- 
piness and glory." The Legislature, in 
1784, favored the impost on commerce; 
and Noah Webster, then living at Hari- 
ford, wrote an article, in which he said, 
that provincial attachments should be 
made subordinate " to the general inter- 
est of the continent : as a citizen of the 
American empire, every individual has^ 
a national interest far superior to all 
others." " The wide-spread movements, 
of 1786 for the issue of paper money," 
says Bancroft, " never prevailed in Con- 
necticut. The people, as they were 
frugal, industrious, and honest, dwelt 
together in peace, while other States 
were rent by faction." 

3 William Samuel Johnson was 
born at Stratford, Oct. 7, 1727, and gradu- 



BISHOP SEABUKY. 



239 



ated at Yale College in 1744. He was 
frequently elected representative to the 
General Assembly, and was a member of 
the Stamp-Act Congress in 1765. He 
was in England in 176(5 as the agent of 
the colony, and remained there until 
1771j After his return he was chosen 
one of the judges of the superior court. 
During the war he held a conservative 
position. In 1787 he was elected a 
United-States senator, and the same year 
was chosen president of Columbia Col- 
lege. He held this position until 1800, 
when he retired to Stratford, where he 
died, Nov. 14, 1819. 

* Oliver Ellsworth was born in 
Windsor, April 29, 1745. Graduating at 
Princeton College in 1766, he began the 
practice of law at Hartford. Rapidly 
gaining distinguished eminence in his 
j chosen profession, he was elected a dele- 
j gate to Congress in 1777, and in 1784 
was appointed a judge of the Superior 
Court of Connecticut. He took a prom- 
inent part in the convention that framed 
the Constitution of the United States, 
and, on the organization of the Govern- 
ment, was elected a member of the Sen- 
ate. In 1796 Washington nominated 
him to be Chief Justice of the Supi-eme 
Court of the United States. Having 
discharged the duties of this high office 
for five years, with great ability, he ac- 
cepted the appointment of Minister to 
France. The decline of his health com- 
pelled him to return home, but he was 
again honored with a seat in the councils 
of his native State. He was appointed 
Chief Justice of the Sui^erior Court, but 
declined the office, and soon after died, 
Nov. 26, 1807. Judge Ellsworth was a 
man of rare accomplishments and emi- 
nent legal ability, and his life and char- 
acter that of an exemplary Christian. 

•"' " Connecticut was the first of the 
New-England States that ratified the 
new Constitution. Two of its delegates 
to the National Convention (Roger Sher- 
man and Oliver Ellsworth) sent Sept. 
25, 1787, a copy of the Constitution to 



Samuel Huntington, then governor of 
the State, who was its zealous friend. 
At the middle of October the Legisla- 
lature called a State Convention, to 
which were elected men of the highest 
standing in the Commonwealth, — legis- 
lators, judges, clergymen, etc. The 
Convention assembled In the State House 
at Hartford, and immediately adjourned 
to the North Meeting-house, where the 
Constitution was read in the presence of 
a multitude of people, and debated, sec- 
tion by section, with open doors. No 
vote was taken until the whole had been 
thus read and debated. When, on the 9th 
of January, 1788, a vote was taken, one 
hundred and twenty -eight spoke for the 
Constitution, and only forty against it, — 
a majority of more than three to one. 
The decision was received with delight 
by the people" (Benson J. Lossing). 

6 As soon as peace was restored, the 
Episcopal clergy of Connecticut and 
New York held a meeting in that city, 
and on the 21st of April, 1783, made 
unanimous choice of Samuel Seabury, 
D.D., as the first bishop of the diocese 
of Connecticut and Rhode Island. Dr. 
Seabury was descended from an old 
colonial family, and, after graduating at 
Yale College, studied theology in Eng- 
land, and was ordained bj' the Bishop of 
London in 1753. After his election as 
Bishop of Connecticut, he sailed for 
England. The fact that it was necessary 
that a candidate for Episcopal conse- 
cration should take the oath of allegiance 
to the king, and, of obedience to the 
Archbishop of Canterbury, interposed 
serious difficulties. With the advice of 
the clergy, Dr. Seabury sought in Scot- 
land the consecration denied him in 
England. The ceremony took place at 
Aberdeen, Nov. 14, 1784. Bishop Seabury 
died in New London, Feb. 25, 1796. 

• Since 1820 the income of the fund 
has been divided among the towns ac- 
cording to the number of children in each 
between four and sixteeu years of age. 



240 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [I8OO. 



CHAPTER XXXVIII. 
1800-1817. 

CONNECTICUT AT THE DAWN OF THE NINETEENTH 
CENTURY. 

THE population of Connecticut in 1800 was two hundred 
and fifty-one thousand. Hartford, New Haven, New 
London, Norwich, and Middletown had been incorporated 
as cities in 1784. At that time New Haven was a scattered 
village of a little over three thousand inhabitants. The 
l)ublic square, that has long been the pride of the city, was 
unfeuced, and crossed and recrossed by wagon-ruts, and 
overgrown with bushes and weeds. The most elegant part 
of the city was at the edge of the harbor ; and it was thought 
doubtful if the streets would ever be paved, on account of 
the great expense. The population of Hartford, as late as 
1810, was only about four thousand. Commerce was the 
main source of its wealth, derived, to a great extent, from 
its trade with the West Indies. 

Thomas Jefferson was elected President in 1800, and served 
two terms (1801-1809) . He was the leader of the party that 
sympathized with France rather than England in the war 
between those nations. Both nations had forbidden all trade 
with the other, and claimed the right to seize any vessels 
engaged in such trade. The result was that American ves- 
sels were liable to be captured, and their crews imprisoned. 
More than this, the English claimed the right to search 
American vessels to discover if there were an}^ British sea- 



1812.J WAR DECLARED. 241 

men ou board, and take them if found. The feeling against 
England was intense, and in 1807 Congress decided to cut 
otf all trade with that countr}-. For this purpose an '' em- 
bargo " was laid which forbade American vessels leaving 
American ports. This Act met with bitter opposition from 
the authorities of Connecticut. They felt that the remedy 
applied in this case was worse than the disease. ''We 
maintain," they said, in resolutions passed by the Assem- 
bly, " that the right freely to navigate the ocean, was, like 
our soil, transmitted to us as an inheritance from our fore- 
fathers ; and the enjoyment of this right is secured to us, as 
a free and sovereign State, by the plighted faith of the 
United States." 

The continuance of the "embargo" was ruinous to the 
commercial interests of the State. The distress was so great, 
and the sense of unjust treatment so keen, that the Assem- 
bly felt called upon to advise a spirit of patience, in the 
" hope that the General Government would soon abandon a 
course of measures so distressing to individuals, so debasing 
to the national spirit and character, and so inefficacious for the 
protection of the rights and honors of the United States." 

On the 18th of June, 1812, the United States declared war 
against Great Britain. ^ The people of Connecticut looked 
ui)on the war as unnecessary, and were not slow in express- 
ing their opinion in regard to the matter. As a State, they 
were still acting under the old colonial charter ; and it seemed 
but natural, that, as the men of an earlier generation con- 
tended for their rights against the usurpations of ro3'al author- 
ity, they should again assert those rights, which they thought 
were endangered by the action of the national authorities. 

Now that war was declared, the Assembly, having uttered 

its protest, authorized the quartermaster-general to purchase 

" additional arms and artillery." Two regiments of in- 

I fantry and other troops were ordered to be raised, subject 

only to the order of the commander-in-chief of the militia. 



242 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [1813-14. 

This led to a serious difference with the National Government 
in answering the call for troops to be under the command of 
officers of the regular army. Governor Griswold ^ declined 
to comply with this call, and his action was approved by the 
Assembly. 

The Government at Washington did little to protect the 
seacoast of Connecticut ; and the defence of the property, 
both of the United States and of the Commonwealth, de- 
volved upon the militia, who responded with alacrity- to the 
summons that again and again required their service. 
Lieutenant-Governor John Cotton Smith ^ was elected, in 
1813, to fill the place made vacant by the death of Gov- 
ernor Griswold. During the year the coast was blockaded 
for some time by British ships-of-war cruising in the vicinity 
of New London. 

In June two United-States frigates and a sloop-of-war, in 
attempting to reach the sea by way of Long-Island Sound, 
were turned back by the British squadron, and sought refuge 
in New-London Harbor. It was thought that the enemy 
might follow them ; and, fearing lest an attempt would be 
made to capture the shipping in the harbor, they were 
taken several miles up the Thames River, and a large body 
of militia stationed in the city, and other available points, 
in command of General Williams. 

On the evening of April 7, 1814, two or three ships of 
the blockading squadron anchored at the mouth of the 
Connecticut. The old fort at Saybrook Point was without 
a garrison, and the enemy met no opposition in sending 
two launches and four barges up as far as the present 
village of Essex. Wind and tide were against them, and 
they did not reach their destination until almost morning. 
AVarning of their approach had hardly been given when a 
party of marines came ashore, and, breaking open stores 
and houses in search of ammunition, set fire to a large 
amount of valuable shipping. 



1814.] BOMBARDMENT OF STONINGTON. 24S 

Before noon they started for Sajbrook ; but by this time 
a considerable body of militia had gathered on a neighbor- 
ing height, and did the best they could to impede their 
progress by the fire of a few small pieces of artillery. 
Previous to this attack, the attention of the war depart- 
ment had been called to the necessity of placing a garri- 
son in the fort at Saybrook ; and it was felt that the 
neglect to do so had resulted in the serious loss of prop- 
erty sustained at that time. In answer to the call of the 
President, in the summer of 1814, for the organization of 
a large body of troops, to be held in readiness for imme- 
diate service, Connecticut enlisted her quota of three thou- 
sand men, and stationed them at points within her borders 
most exposed to danger. 

On the 9th of August two British frigates, a bomb-ship, 
and brig appeared off the harbor of Stonington. Com- 
modore Hardy sent word to the town officers that he pro- 
posed to open fire, and destroy the place, after allowing one 
hour for the removal of the inhabitants and their effects. 
The fort on the Point was at once occupied b}' a little party 
of volunteers ; and other militia companies were stationed 
at different places on the shore, where breastworks had 
beeu thrown up. Word was sent of the impending attack 
to General Cushing at New London, but he thought it was 
only an attempt to draw off his forces from Fort Griswold ; 
and he ordered a single regiment to march to Stonington, 
while he strengthened his own position. 

The bombardment commenced early in the evening, and 
was continued until midnight, but did very little injury. At 
daylight of the following morning the barges from the ships 
drew up on the east side of the village, and commenced 
firing rockets at the buildings. The Stonington volunteers 
dragged one of their guns into position, and, after sinking 
one of the barges, compelled the others to retire. About 
sunrise the bomb-ship "Terror" and the brig-of- war again 



244 HlSTOliY OF CONNECTICUT. [l814. 

eommeuced throwing shells into the town, and discharging 
rockets. 

The militia did not desert their post, but gallantly manned 
their guns, while others extinguished the fires that were 
kindled by the rockets. Their ammunition was soon ex- 
hausted, and they had to wait until a fresh supph' came from 
New London. The powder arrived before noon ; and, again 
nailing their colors to the staff, they opened fire from the fort 
with such effect, that the brig, to avoid being sunk, cut her 
cables, and retired. 

After continuing the bombardment until the third day, 
Commodore Hardy sent a flag on shore. He promised that 
if Mrs. Stewart, the wife of the British consul at New 
London, should be sent on board his ship, and a pledge given 
that no more torpedoes would be set afloat to annoy his ves- 
sels, he would cease firing on the town. A curt reply was 
returned, that they asked no favors of him beyond what the 
rules of honorable warfare required. The ships again opened 
the bombardment, and continued it until the next day, when 
they set sail for their old quarters off New London. A large 
amount of property was injured and destroyed, but not a 
single life was lost during the attack. 

Massachusetts was no less anxious and alarmed than Con- 
necticut at the defenceless condition of her seacoast. A 
letter was prepared, and sent through her authorities, both to 
Connecticut and Rhode Island, asking them to appoint dele- 
gates to meet with those of other States to deliberate upon 
the dangers that threatened them in connection with the war. 
The object of this gathering was "to devise, if practicable, 
means of securit}^ and defence which may be consistent with 
the preservation of our resources from total ruin, and 
adapted to our local situation, mutual relations and habits, 
and not repugnant to our obligations as members of the 
Union. " 

The Legislature was in session when this letter was re- 



1814-15.] THE HARTFORD CONVENTION. 245 

ceived. It met with a cordial response on the part of the 
most able members of that body, and led to the call of 
the famous convention which met at Hartford, Dec. !;">, 1814. 
The seven delegates who represented Connecticut were men 
eminent in ability and character.^ In the partisan excitement 
of the times, their motives were misconstrued, and their 
loyalty to the Union called in question. 

There is no doubt that they were earnestly opposed to the 
war, but their action was prompted by the belief that the fail- 
ure of the Government to provide for the protection of the 
New-England seacoast made it necessary for them to devise 
plans for their mutual safety. The charge of disloyalty is 
fully met by the frequent assertion on their part that they 
desired to recommend only such measures for the safety and 
welfare of the States they represented as were "consist- 
ent with their obligations as members of the national 
Union." 

In January, 1815, a special session of the Legislature was 
called by the governor. His excellency was requested to 
appoint two commissioners, who should at once proceed to 
AVashington, and seek from the Government authorit}- l»y 
which Connecticut might provide for the defence of her own 
territory, and that a part of the taxes might be used for 
this purpose. Tidings of peace soon after put an end to 
the questions that had so seriously distracted the minds of the 
people. The Hartford Convention had been composed of 
Federalists ; and the general feeling of alarm throughout the 
country, which that meeting caused, did very much to break 
up the Federal party. 



1 Roger Griswold was the son of tative to Congress. President Adams 

Governor Matthew Griswold. Born in nominated him to be secretary of war in 

Lyme, May 21, 1762, he graduated at his cabinet, but he declined the position. 

Yale College in the class of 1780. Hav- In 1807 he was appointed a judge of the 

ing acquired a high reputation as an ad- Superior Court, and in 1811 was elected 

vocate at the bar, he was elected, when governor of the State. His administra- 

but thirty -two years of age, a represen- tion was cut short by his illness and 



246 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



death which occurred at Norwich in 
October, 1812. 

2 John Cotton Smith was born in 
Sharon, 1765, and graduated at Yale, 
1783. He was for several years a repre- 
sentative of Connecticut in Congress, 
and was appointed judge of the Supreme 
Court, 1809 : lieutenant-governor in the 
same year, and governor 1813-18. Gov- 
ernor Smith was a gentleman of the old 
school, a ripe scholar, and a devoted 
Christian. His later years were occupied 
in the care of his ancestral acres in the 
town of Sharon, and dispensing the hos- 
pitalities of his beautiful home. 

3 The delegates from Connecticut 
were Chauncey Goodrich, John Tread- 
well, James Hillhouse, Zephaniah Swift, 
Nathaniel Smith, Calvin Goddard, and 
Roger Minot Sherman. 

* The most famous naval victory of 
the war — the capture of the British 
frigate Guerriere — was won by Commo- 
dore Isaac Hull, in command of the 
United States frigate Constitution. 
Commodore Hull was a native of Derby, 
and in early life was a seaman in the 



merchant service. He was made a lieu- 
tenant in the U. S. navy in 1798, and 
after serving with credit in the war with 
Tripoli, he received the commission of 
captain in 1806. His brilliant services 
are a notable part of the history of the 
war of 1812. After peace was declared, 
he commanded the U. S. squadrons in 
the Pacific and Mediterranean, and was 
one of the board of naval commission- 
ers. Many articles once in the posses- 
sion of Commodore Hull are preserved 
in the rooms of the New Haven Colony 
Historical Society. 

Thomas McDonough, known as the 
"Hero of Champlain," because of his 
victory on Lake Champlain over the 
English fleet in 1814, lies buried in the 
old cemetery in Middletown. He was 
born in Delaware (1783), but was a citi- 
zen of Connecticut by adoption. He 
died while on his return from the com- 
mand of the U. S. squadron in the Med- 
iterranean, Nov. 16, 1825. He was a man 
of noble Christian character, and greatly 
beloved in private life. 



adoptio:n of the j'kesent constitution. 247 



CHAPTER XXXIX. 

1818-1860. 

ADOPTION OF THE PRESENT CONSTITUTION OF CONNECTICUT.- THE GROWTH 
OF PHILANTHROPIC ENTERPRISES. - TEMPERANCE. - THE ANTI- SLAVERY 
AGITATION. 

CONNECTICUT continued to conduct its affairs under the 
charter of 1662, even after it became one of the States 
of the Federal Union. Civil and ecclesiastical forms and in- 
stitutions had been developed and fostered by its provisions 
that were very dear to most of the people. In time, how- 
ever, a strong feeling was aroused against some of the old 
methods of conducting affairs. 

From the founding of the Commonwealth, Congregational 
churches had been formed in every town, and were a part of 
their organic life. These churches were directly favored by 
legislation, and every voter was taxed for their support. 
With the increase of the number and influence of those who 
[)referred to connect themselves with other denominations, 
the sentiment gained in strength that all sects should be put 
upon a footing of equality before the law. This, in connec- 
tion with questions of public policy that were agitated during 
the war of 1812, kindled a fierce flame of controversy. The 
triumph of the party that desired a change was followed by 
the adoption of the present constitution in 1818. This con- 
stitution enacts that " no preference shall be given by law to 
any Christian sect, or mode of worship." Provision is made 
for the election and appointment of distinct legislative, ex- 
ecutive, and judicial officers. The governor must be thirty 



248 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 

years of age or over, and is chosen biennially. His veto 
may be overcome by a majority in each House. The Legis- 
lature consists of a Senate of twenty-four members, and a 
House of Representatives according to towns. Every town 
incorporated before 1785, and since 1874 if of five thou- 
sand inhabitants, has two members, and every other town 
one. All elections are by ballot, and every voter must be 
able to read any article of the United-States Constitution. 
The judicial power is vested in the following courts : a 
supreme court of errors, consisting of a chief and four asso- 
ciates ; a superior court, consisting of six judges, together 
with the five of the court of errors. These are all chosen by 
the Assembly for eight years, and become disqualified after 
the age of seventy. There are inferior courts in certahi 
cities and boroughs, with judges chosen biennially by the 
Assembly.^ In 1873 Hartford was made the sole capital. 

The early records of Connecticut bear testimony to the 
spirit of Christian philanthropy that dwelt in the hearts of 
the people. Unceasing efforts w^ere put forth to Christian- 
ize and educate the Indians.^ The worthy poor were never 
allowed to suffer, and every possible provision was made for 
those disabled in bod}' and mind. It is not strange, there- 
fore, that, in the humanitarian and missionary movements 
that sprung up in the early part of this centur}', some of the 
most fruitful philanthropic and Christian enterprises of modern 
times should have first been organized on Connecticut soil.^ 

The American Asylum at Hartford, for the education and 
instruction of the deaf and dumb, was the first institution of 
the kind opened in the United States. The story of its 
founding begins in the home of Dr. Cogswell, an eminent 
physician of Hartford. A deaf-mute little girl in his family, 
by her sad disability, joined as it was with a lovable dispo- 
sition and interesting character, called forth the tender solici- 
tude and sympathy of a large circle of friends. 



GROWTH OF PHILANTHROPIC ENTERPRISES. 249 

Among them was the Rev. T. H. Gallaudet. He found 
that there were others suffering in the same way, and his 
heart and mind became deeply interested in their welfare. 
Already general interest had been aroused to such an extent 
that it was decided to establish a school, and send some one 
abroad to acquire the art of teaching deaf-mutes. Dr. 
Gallaudet was selected for this work. In May, 1816, the in- 
stitution was incorporated by the Legislature with an appro- 




AMEIUCAN ASYLUM FOK THE DEAF AND DLM 



priation of five thousand dollars. Dr. (lallaudet ]-eturned to 
America in August of the same 3'ear, accompanied by Laurent 
Clerc, a deaf-mute pupil of the Abbe Sicard. Both individuals 
and churches responded liberally to the appeal for funds to 
carry on the school. AYithin a few years all of the New-Eng- 
land States made arrangements for the instruction of their in- 
digent deaf-mutes at Hartford ; and in 1819 Congress voted 
a grant to the institution of lands, the sale of which formed 
a fund of over three hundred thousand dollars. The record 



250 HISTORY Oh CONNECTICUT. 

of the institution under Dr. Gallaudet and his successors has 
been one of eminent usefulness and success. The school 
now has a corps of fifteen trained and experienced teachers, 
who are qualified to employ the best methods in use in 
teaching deaf-mutes. Two devote their time to instruction 
in articulation and lip-reading. The basis of instruction, 
however, is the sign-language, which long experience has 
proved to be the most rapid and sure means of impart- 
ing instruction to all deaf-mutes, and the only means by 
which a large part of them can be reached. Articulation 
-and lip-reading are taught to such pupils as show aptness 
in acquiring them. The income of the institution, in con- 
nection with the provisions made by the State, enables the 
children of the poorest parents to avail themselves of its 
blessings. 

During recent years the State has opened the doors of the 
noble Asylum for the Insane at Middletowu, and the Reform 
School for Boys at Merideu, and the Industrial School for Girls 
at Middletowu, giving evidence of the care which the people 
of Connecticut are ready to give those in distress and need 
of help. 

The sale and use of intoxicating drink was the source of 
trouble from the founding of the colony. Drunkenness was 
a crime punished at the discretion of the court by stocking, 
fining, or, more generally, whipping. Laws were passed for- 
bidding sales to incapable or irresponsible persons, as Indi- 
ans, minors, and drunkards. Such a resort as the modern 
liquor-saloon was unknown. Tavern-keepers were allowed 
to sell to their guests, and the inhabitants of the town might 
buy liquor of them for use elsewhere ; but they were forbidden 
to " sit drinking and tippliug " in these public-houses. The 
number of taverns was limited to the needs of travel, and 
there was seldom more than one or two in a village. 

At the time of the Revolution, and for many years after- 



TEMPERANCE. 



251 



wards, the usages of society permitted the general use of 
ardent spirits in the homes of the people and on festive occa- 
sions. Cider and New-England rum, distilled from molasses, 
were the favorite beverages. Early in this century the dis- 
astrous effects of this custom began to attract attention, 
and well it might. The appetite kindled by the use of in- 
toxicating drink had already brought povert}^ and misery 
into multitudes of homes. In man}' cases the sons of hon- 
ored sires had become miserable drunkards, and their ances- 
tral acres had fallen into the hands 
of strangers. 

p]ven at the ordination and in- 
stallation of ministers, the enter- 
tainment of guests was thought 
incomplete if a supply of various 
kinds of liquor was lacking. Soon 
after Lyman Beecher was settled 
as pastor in Litchfield (1810), he 
attended an installation of a neigh- 
boring minister, where the prep- 
arations for the comfort of those 
in attendance, " besides food, 
was a broad side-board covered 
with decanters and bottles, and 
sugar, and pitchers of water." 
''There," says Dr. Beecher, "we found all the various kinds 
of liquors then in vogue. The drinking was apparently uni- 
versal. There was a decanter of spirits also on the dinner- 
table to help digestion, and gentlemen partook of it through 
the afternoon and evening as the}- felt the need ; and the 
side-board, with the spillings of water and sugar and liquor, 
looked and smelled like the bar of a very active grog-shop." 

The tide of public sentiment in religious circles soon began 
to turn strongl}^ against the custom that made such scenes 
possible. Attention was called to the evils of intemperance 




LYMAN BEECHER. 

(From Autobiography by permission 
of Harper Brotliers.) 



252 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 

in ministerial and other conventions, and in a few years a 
wonderful change was wrought. Dr. Beecher preached 
a series of six sermons on intemperance, that were widely 
read, and did much to carry forward a movement that swept 
with great power through the State and the nation. 

A full history of the cause of temperance in Connecticut 
would recall the names of some of the noblest men and 
women that have ever labored for the welfare and rescue of 
those in danger from the accursed traffic that is still the most 
terrible and insidious enemy that assails the life of the com- 
monwealth. 

Connecticut was one of the first colonies to pass a law 
aoainst the slave-trade. This was done in 1769. The main 
cause of the final abolition of slavery in the State, was the 
fact that it became unprofitable. In 1784 the Legislature 
passed an Act declaring that all persons born of slaves, after 
the 1st of March in that year, should be free at the age of 
twenty-five. Most of those born before this time were grad- 
ualh' emancipated by their masters, and the institution of 
slavery had almost died out before 1806. 

In the revival of philanthropic sentiment and effort that 
marked the early years of the century now drawing to a 
clos'e, a strong feeUng was aroused against allowing the sys- 
tem of slavery to be introduced into the new States and Terri 
tories. In 1810, at the time the slave-power was seeking to 
gain both Missouri and Florida, there was an intense anti- 
slavery agitation in man}' parts of Connecticut. New Haven 
recorded its verdict in resolutions that declared that the ex- 
istence of slavery was an evil of great magnitude, and that 
it was the solemn duty of the Government to prevent, by all 
constitutional means, its extension. This was the beginning 
of discussions that formed the staple of political arguments, 
and expressed different views of public policy that contended 
for victory, within party lines, until the shot on Sumter 



THE ANTI-SLAVERY AGITATION. 



253 



united the people in the determination to sustain the Union 
at whatever cost of blood and treasure. 

About 1830 the subject was broached of founding a college 
in New Haven for the education of colored persons. This 
aroused bitter opposition ; and the feeling of race-prejudice 
ran so high, that in 1833 the Legislature passed an Act by 
which it was made penal to establish schools in the common- 
wealth for the instruction of negroes from other States.^ It 
is difficult for the present generation to conceive how intense 
was the agitation of the public mind in the great anti-slavery 
I'ontroversies that preceded the civil war.^ 



' The victory of the party opposed 
to the Federalists, and its result, as affect- 
ing the relation of the Congregational 
•churches to the State, was a source of 
great sorrow and anxiety to those who 
were attached to the old order of things. 
Dr. Lyman Beecher, pastor at the time 
■oi the Congregational church in Litch- 
field, in his autobiography says, " It was 
-iis dark a day as ever I saw. The injury 
done to the cause of Christ, as we then 
supposed, was irreparable. For several 
days I suffered what no tongue can tell, 
for the best thing that ever happened to 
the State of Corinecticut. It cut the 
churches loose from dependence on State 
support. It threw them wholly on their 
own resources and on God." 

- The Rev. Eleazar Wheelock, 
pastor of the Congregational church in 
that part of Lebanon now known as 
Columbia, in 1743 received, into a school 
taught by him, a Mohegan Indian named 
Samson Cecum. This lad afterwards be • 
came a famous preacher. Mr. Wheelock 
-devoted his attention to the education 
of Indian youth, and founded a school 
that received generous support, both at 
home and abroad. 

3 The American Board of Com- 
missioners FOR Foreign Missions 
was first organized at Farraingtou, Sept. 
-5, 1810. 

* This law was passed to break up a 



school in Canterbury. Miss Prudence 
Craudall was at the head of a prosperous 
school for young ladies in that place, 
when a respectable colored girl, in 1832, 
asked for admission. After some hesi- 
tation she was admitted as a member 
of the school. The other pupils at once 
left, and there was great excitement in 
the community when it became known 
that Miss Crandall purposed to open a 
school for the education of colored girls. 
About six weeks after the passage of this 
law, which was celebrated in Canterbury 
by the ringing of the church-bell, and 
firing of cannon. Miss Crandall was 
confined in the county jail for a day, 
when bonds were given for her appear- 
ance before the Court. The decision 
was adverse to her claims, and the school 
was given up. In 1886 the attention of 
the State was called to this case, in the 
granting by the Legislature of a small 
pension to this teacher, still living, at an 
advanced age, in Kansas. 

s Leonard Bacon, D.D., who died 
in New Haven, Dec. 24, 1881, took an 
active part in the anti-slavery reform. 
During his long and honored pastorate 
in connection with the Plrst Church in 
New Haven, he was recognized as a leader 
In his denomination ; and his voice and 
pen were potent instruments in creating 
and guiding public opinion. 



254 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [i860. 



CHAPTER XL. 

1860. 

CONNECTICUT IN THE CIVIL WAR. 

THE ''irrepressible conflict" of opinion that had long 
agitated the country over the institution of slavery 
reached a crisis in 1860. In the Presidential election of 
that year, four parties contended for the victory. John C. 
Breckinridge was the candidate of the Southern Democrats, 
who declared that Congress ought to protect slavery in the 
Territories, if a slave-owner took his slaves there. The ma- 
jority of Northern Democrats were unwilling to accept this 
view ; and they nominated Stephen A. Douglas on a plat- 
form which declared, that, while they believed that the people 
of each Territory ought to control the institution of slavery 
in that Territory, they were willing to abide the decision of 
the Supreme Court. The American party represented many 
excellent citizens from both sections of the country, who de- 
plored the possibility of war, and urged measures of peace. 
The Republican party, whose candidate was Abraham Lin- 
coln of Illinois, declared- that it was the right and duty of 
Congress to forbid slavery in the Territories. 

As soon as the election of Lincoln was made certain, 
prominent Southern leaders prepared to carry out their 
threats of secession from the Union. At a State convention 
held in Charleston, Dec. 20, 1860, South Carolina was de- 
clared independent of the United States ; and before the close 
of January, 1861 , five other States had taken the same action. 



1861.] CONNECTICUT IN THE CIVIL WAR. 255 

After-events were to prove how critical was the couclition of 
affairs. Even while the Southern States were passing oixli- 
nances of secession, and their public men were doing all in 
their power to break up the Union, it was difficult for the 
North to realize that this action would culminate in a conflict 
of arms. It still seemed as if the stormful passions of those 
who were plotting the destruction of the nation might ex- 
haust itself in words and action that would be recalled before 
there was an open collision with the National Government. 

In the spring of 1860, William A. Buckingham, the Re- 
publican candidate, had been elected governor of Connecticut. 
A man of keen vision, well-balanced 
mind, and mature judgment, he early 
recognized the true condition of affairs. 
On the 17th of January, 18G1, while 
Congress was still spending the time 
in talking over proposals for compro- 
mis.e, he issued a proclamation, in which 
he declared that ' ' when reason gives way 
to passion, and order yields to anarchy, 
the civil power must fall back upon the 
military for support, and rest upon that 
arm of national defence." On his own responsibility he 
ordered the purchase of equipments for five thousand men^ 
and urged the militia companies to fill their ranks, and '' be 
ready to render such service as any exigency might require." 

The opinion of the majority of the voters of Connecticut, 
on the great question which now agitated the minds of the 
people, was shown, a little later, b}' the re-election of Gov- 
ernor Buckingham. By this action they declared for the 
maintenance, by force, of "the supreme and perpetual au- 
thority of the National Government." Seven of the Southern 
States had renounced their allegiance to the Union, and seized 
upon the national property within their domain. Saddest of 
all, many of the ablest men of the South, who were opposed 




GOVERNOR BUCKINGHAM. 



256 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [I86I. 

to tlie principle of secession, felt that it was their duty to 
go with their States, when the majority favored this action. 

Under these distressing circumstances Abraham Lincoln 
was inaugurated President, at Washington, on the 4th of 
March. His inaugural address was a profound and tender 
plea for the preservation of the Union, addressed to those 
who were plotting its destruction. He was still hopeful that 
the dark clouds that brooded over the nation might pass. 
In words of touching eloquence he closed by saying, " We 
must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it 
must not break, our bonds of affection. The mystic chords 
of memory, stretching from every battle-field and patriot 
grave to everj- living heart and hearthstone all over this 
broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when 
again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of 
our nature." Not then, but to the children of another 
generation, and the veterans of the most terrible conflict 
ever waged between men of the same blood, were these 
words to prove a message of prophecy. Let us rejoice tha 
the story of those dark and eventful times can be told in the 
light of these days of peace and united strength. 

" The rebels are firing on Sumter." Only those who were 
then living in the North, and old enough to realize the situa 
tion, can understand the excitement and feeling that stirred 
the hearts of the people that April morning. The time for 
discussion was past, and in an hour men who had held the 
most diverse opinions were united in the white-heat of a 
flame of patriotism. The sons of Connecticut knew now 
how their fathers felt when tidings came of the battle of 
Lexington. The life of the Nation had been assailed. The 
hour had come when men must do their duty, and in that 
hour the tide of loyal feeling and determination rose with a 
strength that swept every thing before it. Doubt and fear 
gave way to the rallying cry, " The Union, it must and shall 
be preserved ! " 



1861,] CONNECTICUT IN THE CIVIL WAR. 257 

This was on Saturday. The next day was a battle-Sunday 
all over the State. News had already reached the larger 
towns of the surrender of Sumter. Prayers, sermons, con- 
versation, all dwelt upon the one theme that pressed upon 
every heart. The call of President Lincoln for seventy-five 
thousand volunteers met with an eager response. War-meet- 
ings were held in almost every city and town throughout the 
vState, and hundreds of earnest men expressed their willing- 
ness to enlist. The old flag was greeted everywhere with 
tumultuous enthusiasm, and every allusion to the principles 
and history it symbolized touched a chord of sympathy that 
vibrated with intense feeling. The attempt on the part of a 
few persons to defend the action of the seceding States met 
with indignant and threatening remonstrance. The lot of a 
Tory in the war of the Revolution was more comfortable 
than that of a Connecticut secessionist. 

Work and action gave relief to the intense feeling of the 
hour. From farm, workshop, office, and school, there came 
a response to the call of the Nation that soon more than filled 
the quota of the State. Men who had never been recognized 
for their liberality now vied with those of the most generous 
disposition in their gifts. Women laid aside every other 
task to prepare clothing for the volunteers. With tearful 
eyes but brave hearts they encouraged their husbands, sons, 
and brothers to enlist, and bade them God-speed as they 
went forth to the service of their country. The sons and 
daughters of Connecticut, in the war for the Union, proved 
worthy descendants of the fathers and mothers of 1637 and 
1776. 

Within a month from the first call for volunteers, three 
regiments had been sent forward to Washington ; and it is 
estimated that within this time ' ' not less than two thousand 
men from Connecticut enlisted in other States, or the regular 
army or navy." More men offered their services for the 
campaign of three mouths than were desired, and a large 



-258 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



[1861. 



number of companies that had been formed in different 
parts of the State were disbanded. At the request of the 
War Department, Governor Buckmgham now made good his 
promise to raise two regiments to be enlisted for three years. 
The first of these regiments, known as the Fourth, left Hart- 
ford for the front on Monday, June 10. One of the com- 
panies was called the Wesleyan Guard, and was composed 
almost entirely of students from the Wesleyan University at 
Middletown. The Fifth Connecticut, in command of Orris 
8. Ferr}-,^ was soon recruited, and 
ready for service. 

Let us now follow the fortunes of 
the regiments that had alread}' left the 
State. The First sailed from New 
Haven, and reached Washington by 
way of the Chesapeake and Potomac. 
It was the first thoroughl}' equipped 
regiment that entered Washington, and 
received a cordial welcome and many 
compliments from President Lincoln 
and General Scott. Within a few days 
the Second and Third Regiments arrived 
at the Capitol, and pitched their tents near the First, at v31en- 
Avood, about two miles north of the city. Early in June 
they left their pleasant camping-ground, and crossed the 
Potomac to join the half-dozen regiments that formed a 
picket-line beyond Alexandria, in Virginia. They were lo- 
cated at the extreme front, and were constantly on the alert 
from fear of a sudden attack. 

Daniel Tyler, the colonel of the First Connecticut, an able 
professional soldier, was pla.ced in command of the first and 
largest division of the troops now gathered at the front. On 
the 16th of July, General Tyler led his division, with the 
Connecticut brigade in advance, towards Centreville. This 
was on the direct overland road to Richmond, and about 




GENERAL O. S. FERRY, 



1861.] CONNECTICUT IN THE CIVIL WAR. 259 

thirty miles from WashiDgtou. A short distauce farther 
on, the road was crossed by a little stream called Bull 
Run. It was in this neighborhood that the brigade sent 
forward by General Tyler encountered a division of Con- 
federate troops, in command of General Longstreet. After 
a short skirmish, the Union soldiers held the ford. 

General Tyler was anxious to push the battle the follow- 
ing day, but his advice was not heeded. This delay proved 
of great advantage to the Confederates. On the morning 
of July 21, McDowell ordered the advance of the Union 
army, and in the early part of the day the troops under 
Beauregard were driven from their position. In the aftei- 
noon the voufederate array was re-enforced with a fresh 
division that arrived from the Shenandoah Valley in com- 
mand of General Joseph E. Johnston, Before the renewed 
and vigorous advance of the enemy, the Union army be- 
came panic-stricken, and fled in confusion towards Wash- 
ington. 

The rout of the army was a surprise to the Connecticut 

troops ; and until they were caught in its tumultuous power, 

they stood in their places, ready to obey orders. They 

iired the first shot in the morning ; and when defeat came 

m the evening, they were the last to leave the field. In 

the retreat they covered the rear of the army, and again 

and again faced about, and fired well-directed volleys into 

the ranks of the enemy, as they [)ressed upon them. The 

day after the battle they occupied their old camping- 

1 grounds, and from there were ordered to Fort Corcoran. 

The time for which they had enlisted soon expired, and 

they returned home to be mustered out. Nearly all of 

the men re-enlisted ; and five hundi'ed or more of their 

^number, at one time and another, held commissions in the 

larmv. Three became major-generals, four brigadier-gen- 

Berals, and over eighty were appointed field and staff 

^officers. Amon^' the brave men who had alreadv laid 



260 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



[1861. 



down their lives for the country, Ellsworth,- Winthrop,^ and 
AYard '' were by birth and heritage linked with the life and his- 
tory of Connecticut. 



1 Orris S. Ferry was a brave and 
efficient officer, and rose to the position 
of brigadier-general. He was elected 
United-States senator in 1867, and served 
in that capacity until his death, in 1875. 
General Ferry was an able lawyer; and, 
even after the disabilities of disease 
fastened upon him, he discharged the 
duties of his high office with eminent 
faithfulness. A true Christian gentle- 
man, his comparatively early death was 
mourned as a public loss. 

2 The grandfather of Colonel Elmer 
E.Ellsworth, killed at Alexandria, May 
24, 1861, was sexton of the Center Church, 
in Hartford, for a quarter of a century. 

3 Theodore Winthkop, killed at 
the battle of Big Bethel, June 9, 1861, 



was born in New Haven, in 1828. After 
graduating at Yale College, he travelled 
extensively. He was admitted to the bar 
in 1855; but he preferred literary pur- 
suits, and gave promise of great ability 
as a writer. He was a direct descendant 
from John Winthrop, the early governor 
of Connecticut. 

* James Harmon Ward was born 
in Hartford, in 1806. He had gained dis- 
tinction in the navy, and early in the 
spring of 1861 was put in command of 
the Potomac flotilla. In an attack upon 
a rebel battery at Matthias Point, June 
27, 1861, he was mortally wounded. 
Captain Ward was buried with military 
honors in Hartford. 



1861.] co:nnectjcut in the civil wak. 2dl 



CHAPTER XLI. 

1861. 

SPIRIT OF THE PEOPLE. 

THE defeat at Bull Run taught the people of the North 
a needed lesson. They had failed to appreciate the 
strength and resources of the South. They did not realize 
how firm was their resolve to break away from the Union, and 
found an independent government, with slavery as its chief 
corner-stone. Whatever opinion might be held regarding 
this action, there was no denying the fact that the seceding 
States were determined to resist to the last extremity the 
further authority of the United States. The Union could 
alone be preserved by conquering the South. 

The loyal North did not falter. The great majority of the 
people of Connecticut were united in the determination that 
the rebellion must be crushed at whatever cost of blood and 
treasure. The efforts that were made in a few places to 
express sympathy with the action of the South, met with an 
indignant remonstrance that proved the general spirit of 
loyalty to the Union. Enthusiastic war-meetings not only 
gave vent to the spirit of patriotism that surged through every 
community, but gathered volunteers in such numbers that 
within a month six regiments were organized. The Fifth, 
admirably equipped, had hastened to the front a week after 
the repulse at Bull Run. 

The death of General Lyon,^ killed (August 10) while 
leading his troops in the battle ofWilson's Creek, Missouri, 



262 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [I86I. 

made a deep impression upon the people of his native State, 
(^uiet and unassuming in manner, noble and unselfish in 
character, uncompromising in loyalt}", and brave in action, 
his name is worthy of an honored place among the sons of 
Connecticut. 

During the summer and early autumn, the work of enlist- 
ment for three-years' service went rapidly forward-; and the 
ranks of the Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth 
Regiments were filled. 

Late in October, the Sixth and Seventh Connecticut, 
with regiments from other States, embarked at Annapolis 
for South Carolina. The expedition, in 
command of General T. W. Sherman and 
Admiral Dupont, was delayed for several 
days at Fortress Monroe. After putting 
out to sea, the fleet was scattered by a 
severe storm, and two of the transports 
were sunk. On the 7th of November, a 
naval battle, by the ships in command of 
Dupont, resulted in the capture of Port 
Royal. The Connecticut troops were 
the first to land, and they also made 
GENERAL NATHANIEL ^^^^ earlicst udvaucc from Hilton Head. 

LYON. 

This was the beginning of the distin- 
guished military career of Alfred H. Terry, then colonel of 
the Seventh Regiment. 

A special session of the Legislature in October authorized 
the further raising of troops ; and before the close of the year 
the First Light Battery and the First Battalion of Cavalry had 
been mustered in, and three more infantry regiments were 
organized. 

Early in November, 1861, the Eiglith, Tenth, and Eleventh 
Connecticut sailed from Annapolis as a part of the expedi- 
tion under Burnside. After many delays and disasters, they 
entered Pamlico Sound, and prepared for the attack on Roa- 




1862.J 



CAPTLKE OF KOANOlvE ISLAND. 



263 



iioke Island. On the 7th of February, 1862, the gun-boats 
bombarded the fort ; and during the night the troops effected 
u landing. In the advance, Colonel Russell - of Derby was 
killed while leading his regiment under a heavy fire. A 
month later, at the battle of Newbern, both the Tenth and 
Eleventh suffered severely ; and in April, the Eighth acted a 
foremost part in the capture of Fort Macon. At the siege of 
Fort Pulaski, and at the various points to which they were 
ordered in this campaign, the Connecticut troops never 
flinched in the face of danger, and endured many, and often 
unnecessary, hardships with a spirit of patience, and even 
cheerfulness, that elicited the highest praise. 



^ Nathaniel Lyon was born in that 
part of Ashford which is now Eastford, 
July 14, 1819. He graduated at West 
Point in 1841, and was engaged in active 
service during the wars in Mexico and 
Florida. For many years he served in 
Kansas and on the frontier. At the out- 
■fareak of the Rebellion, in 1861, he was in 
command of the arsenal at St. Louis, and 
dispersed a party of secessionists col- 
lected by Jackson, the governor of Mis- 
souri. Soon after this, he defeated a 
force of rebels at Booneville, June 17, 
1861. He now received his commission 
as brigadier-general, and on the 2d of 
August won another victory over the 
Confederates near Springfield, Mo., and 
a week later fought the battle of Wil- 
son's Creek, where he was shot and in- 
stantly killed. 
- Charles L. Russell was born in 



the parish of Northfield in the town of 
Litchfield in 1828. When but a lad, his 
parents removed to Derby ; and he was 
living in that place when the war broke 
out. He was among the first to enlist, 
and was selected by Colonel Terry as 
adjutant of the Second, who made special 
mention of his gallantry in the fight at 
Bull Run. In the summer of 1861 he 
raised a company for the Tenth, and 
was soon promoted to the colonelcy. 
His death was lamented by a wide circle 
of friends. 

Albert W. Drake took command 
of the Tenth after the death of Colonel 
Russell. Colonel Drake, in connection 
with Joseph R. Hawley, started the first 
volunteer company that was raised in 
the State. He died of disease at his 
home in South Windsor, June a, 1862. 



264 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l862. 



CHAPTER XLII. 

1862. 

BATTLE OF CEDAR MOUNTAIN. 

IN following the fortunes of the Connecticut regiments 
connected with the Army of the Potomac, a volume would 
be required, if the history were written fully. The record 
of the First Heavy Artillery in this eventful j^ear would tell 
the story of the Peninsula campaign with its high hopes and 
grievous disappointments ; and the hard rides of the Con- 
necticut battalion of cavalry would take us into the wild 
scenery of the mountains of West Virginia, and give us 
varied incidents of danger in raids and skirmishes among 
the bushwhackers. 

Late in May the Fifth Connecticut fought in the battle 
of Winchester for the possession of the Shenandoah Valley. 
Obliged to retreat before superior numbers, General Banks 
no sooner received re-enforcements than the Fifth was again 
upon the march. On the 9th of August the battle of Cedar 
Mountain opened with a fierce artillery-fire. Towards sun- 
set the order was given to charge a battery on the right front. 
This duty fell to Crawford's brigade, w^ith which the Fifth 
was connected. In the face of a murderous fire they pushed 
bravely forward, but without avail. All of the field- oflScers 
were either killed ^ or made prisoners ; and all the other offi- 
cers, except five, were wounded. 

In the summer of 1862 the tide of battle turned strongly 
in favor of the South. Aojain with earnest words Governor 



1862.J 



CALL FOR TROOPS. 



265 



Buckingham called for a response to President Lincoln's 
proclamation asking for three hundred thousand volunteers 
for three-years' service. The fervor of patriotic feeling was 
kindled anew, and within forty-five days over eight thousand 
men had enlisted. The exigencies at the front were of such 




ticale of^Iiles 



25 60 100 

BATTLE-FIELDS OF THE CIVIL WAR. 



a nature that another call was sent from Washington for 
three hundred thousand men for nine mouths. This made it 
necessar}' to raise seven additional regiments in Connecticut. 
While the stir and excitement of regimental organization 
were going on at home, there was the gathering of contending 
forces upon the upper Potomac. The first of August found 
the Eighth and Eleventh Connecticut leaving Newport News 



266 



HISTORY OF CONNKOTICUT. 



[1862. 



ou the way North. After spendiug a month at Fredericks- 
burg on picket-duty, there came tidings of the defeat of 
Pope at Manassas ; and they were ordered with other troops 
to march for Washington. They embarked at Acquia Creek 
Sept. 3, and reached the city at nightfall. The army of 
Lee was advancing rapidly northward, and McClellan at 
once started in pursuit. In these columns were the Eighth 
and Eleventh, besides two new Connecticut regiments, 
the P'ourteenth and Sixteenth, that had but just reached 
Washington. 

The Confederate army, finding itself hard pressed, had 
taken a position along Antietam Creek 
near Sharpsburg. On the morning of 
the 17th of September the battle began 
in which the troops of Connecticut suf- 
fered greater loss than in any other 
during the war. Two of the regiments, 
the Fourteenth and Sixteenth, had never 
before been under fire, and were un- 
familiar with militar}' tactics ; but the 
fearful ordeal of that eventful day was 
a test of heroic manhood in which few 
failed to do their duty. Early in the 
action Colonel Kingsbury'-^ of the Elev- 
enth was mortally wounded ; and before nightfall no le^^s 
than a hundred and thirty-six Connecticut men lay dead on 
the field of strife, and foui- hundred and sixty-six were 
suffering from wounds. In many a Connecticut home is 
«till tenderly cherished the memorj' of brothers and friends 
who lost their lives at Antietam.^ In this list stands most 
prominent the honored name of General Joseph K. F. 
.Alansfield.'* 

At the battle of Fredericksburg (Dec. 13) the Fourteenth 
and Twenty-seventh were the Connecticut regiments that 
took the most active part in the fierce struggle that ended m 




iENERAI. .rOSEPII K. F. 
MANSFIELD. 



I 



1862.] 



ANTIETAM AND FREDERICKSBURG. 



267 



the defeat of the Union forces.^ While their comrades in the 
Army of the Potomac were passing through these eventful 
experiences, those who had joined the expeditions in the 
South were not exempt from arduous and often dangerous 
•duty. At the battle of Kinston Bridge, in North Carolina 
(Dec. 14), of the three hundred and sixty-six officers and 
men of the Tenth Connecticut who were in the engagement, 
one hundred and six were killed or wounded. 



1 Major Edward F. Blake of New 
Haven was born in 1837, Graduating at 
Yale, in 1858, he commenced thie study 
of law. In October, 1861, he was ap- 
pointed adjutant of the Fifth, and soou 
proved himself an accomplished soldier. 
He was soon promoted to the position of 
major. In the battle of Cedar Mountain 
he led the left of the regiment, and was 
instantly killed just as he had taken the 
flag from the hands of a fallen color- 
bearer. 

Lieutenant Henry M. Dittton 
was a son of Ex-Governor Dutton of 
New Haven. He graduated at Yale in 
1S57, and afterwards commenced the 
practice of law at Litchfield. Enlisting 
as a private, he received a commission as 
lieutenant, for his services in recruiting. 
His death was the cause of great sor- 
row in the regiment, of which he was a 
special favorite. 

2 Colonel Henry W. Kingsbury 
was a graduate of West Point, and won 
distinction for his services during the 
I'eninsula campaign. 

3 Captain John Griswold of Lyme 
was a graduate of Yale, of the class of 
1857. Just before his death he said to a 
friend, " I die as 1 have ever wished to 
die, — tor my country. Tell my mother 
that I died at the head of my company." 

Captain N. S. Manross of Bristol 
graduated at Yale in 1850. After study- 
ing in Europe, he was connected as a 
scientific expert with a mining company 
in New York. In 1861 he accepted the 
position of professor of chemistry and 



botany in Amherst College. While 
spending a vacation in Bristol, he was 
urged to take the command of a com- 
pany from that town. Professor James 
A. Dana said of him, " His death is a 
great loss to the scientific world." 

•* Joseph K. F. Mansfield was born 
in New Haven, Dec. 22, 1803. His par- 
ents, while he was quite young, removed 
to Middletown; and through the influ- 
ence of his uncle, Colonel Jared Mans- 
field, then surveyor-general of the United 
States, he was admitted at West Point 
in 1822. Having graduated with honor, 
he was first employed as engineer in 
New-York Harbor, and then in the con- 
struction of Fortress Monroe and Fort 
Pulaski. At the breaking out of the 
war with Mexico, he was chief engineer 
on General Taylor's staff. He built Fort 
Brown, opposite Matamoras, and had 
command of the forces at that point. 
The fort w^as besieged by the Mexicans, 
but was held after a gallant defence. At 
the battle of Monterey, IS[ansfield led a 
division, and was seriously wounded. 
The battle-field of Buena Vista was se- 
lected by him, and the batteries stationed 
under his direction. These distinguished 
services were recognized by promotion to 
be colonel in the regular army. He was 
appointed inspector-general bj' President 
Pierce, and he was engaged in the duties 
of this ofiice prior to the breaking out of 
the Rebellion. He was aware of the real 
condition of affairs, and was not sur- 
prised at the breaking out of the war. 
On account of his age and long service, 



268 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



his friends advised him to retire from 
the array ; but his reply was, " I owe my 
country every hour that remains of my 
life; and in such a struggle as is now 
endangering her existence, I can not, and 
shall not, refuse to answer her call." He 
was put in command of the defences 
about Washington; and all of the forts 
around the city were engineered by him, 
and built under his direction. Mansfield 
was for a time in charge at Newport 
News, and from here was transferred to 
the command of Banks's corps. He 



reached the army at Sharpsburg the 
night before the battle. The following 
day, after the repulse of Rickett's divis- 
ion, Mansfield placed himself at the head 
of his troops, and was leading them gal- 
lantly forward, when he fell mortally 
wounded. A noble Christian gentleman 
and soldier, the country mourned his 
death. 

5 The Eighth, Eleventh, Fifteenth, 
Sixteenth, p.nd the Twenty-first, met 
with slight losses. 



1863.1 CONNECTICUT IN THE CIVIL WAR, 269 



CHAPTER XLIII. 

1863. 

BATTLE OF CHANCELLORSVILLE. 

IN the spring of 1863, the monotonous barrack-life of the 
winter was broken by the stir of military movements. 
Hooker was now in command of the Army of the Potomac, 
and the troops were eager and ready to commence the march 
towards Richmond. Five Connecticut regiments were with 
the mighty host of ninety thousand men that late in April 
crossed the Rappahannock, and, by forced marches, within a 
few hours faced the army of Lee at Chancellorsville.^ The 
result of the terrible conflict was again disastrous to the 
Union army. Some one had blundered, and the hoped-for 
victory proved a veritable sUiughter of as brave a body of 
men as ev^er faced death on the battle-field.-^ 

In June, Lee, with an army numbering seventy thousand 
men, moved up to the Shenandoah Valley ; while Hooker 
placed his army of one hundred thousand men lu a position to 
protect Washington. The purpose of Lee to again nivade 
the N^rth was soon evident. Crossing the Potomac at Har- 
per's Ferry, the Confederate hosts marched through Mary- 
land, and entered Pennsylvania. The Union forces followed 
close after them in command of General George B. Meade ; 
and when Lee's army turned from Chambersburg towards 
Philadelphia, they were confronted by the Army of the 
Potomac. On the afternoon of July 1, the conflict opened. 
During the three days in which the struggle continued, the 



270 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [1863. 

Connecticut troops were often under the hottest fire.^ Their 
number was not large, for their ranks had been sadly thinned 
at Antietam, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville ; but, in 
the army that won the victory upon the battle-field of Gettys- 
burg, none acquitted themselves more nobly than this band 
of veterans.^ 

The spring and summer of 1863 was an eventful period in 
the history of the Connecticut regiments stationed in the 
South. During the month of February, General Banks took 
command of the forces at Baton Rouge, and preparations 
were made for an assault on Port Hudson, twenty-five miles 
up the river. There were many vexatious delays, and the 
troops passed through severe and trying experiences during 
the months of April and May. The battle of Irish Bend ^ 
(April 14) was followed by sharp skirmishes and hard 
marches. Port Hudson was invested on the 24th of May ; 
and three days after, an advance was made, and the works 
stormed. The assault proved the heroic quality of the men 
engaged in it, but the stronghold still remained in the hands 
of the enem}^ 

In the attempt that was made, a few days later (June 14), 
to break through the Confederate lines, the Connecticut regi- 
ments held exposed positions, and suffered severely. ()\i 
the following day (June 15) General Banks called for a 
storming-column of a thousand men. The soldiers of Con- 
necticut took the lead in this perilous enterprise. At his own 
request, Colonel Ilenr}- W. Birge was assigned the command ; 
and his old regiment, the Thirteenth, furnished one-fourth of 
the entire number of this forlorn hope. 

Day after day these men were under arms, ready at any 
moment to make the assault ; but tke surrender of Port Hud- 
son, on July 8, relieved them from their perilous position. 
The " storming-column " were the first to enter the captured 
fortress, '^ led by Colonel Birge to the music of a Connecticut 
band, and under the folds of a tattered Connecticut flag." 



1863.] ANDERSONVILLE. 271 

While their comrades were rejoicing at the fall of \'ici<s- 
burg and Port Hudson, and the victory at Gettysburg, the 
Connecticut regiments near Charleston were passing through 
severe experiences. The arduous toil of building batteries, 
and mounting heav}^ cannon, on the sand-hills overlooking 
Morris Island, was followed earl}' in July by a series of 
assaults, and the siege ending in the capture of P^ort Wagner. 
The names of Terry, Rodman, Ilawley, Chatfield,*^ and 
others, came into prominence during this campaign, for skill 
in leadership, and bravery in action. Not less worthy of 
mention were the men in the rank and file, who never faltered 
in the hour of duty. 

The only brigade of Connecticut regiments in the service, 
that in command of General Edward Harland of Norwich, 
spent the summer months near Portsmouth, Va. Early in 
the autumn, orders came that scattered these troops in differ- 
ent directions. The Sixteenth was sent to Plymouth, N.C. ; 
and in the following April, while defending its positioii 
against overwhelming numbers, it was captured, and the eiK 
listed men taken to Andersonville. Here, for nearly a year, 
they suffered the horrors of this infamous prison-[)en." 

While the soldiers in the camp and field were passing"^ 
through their varied experiences, thev were generously re- 
membered b}' kind friends at home. There is no chapter m 
the history of these sad j^ears more tender and Iteautiful than 
that which records the gifts and services of the various or- 
ganizations, that labored in every way to add to the comfort 
of those in camp, and to alleviate the condition of those suf- 
fering in the hospitals from wounds and disease. 

A further call during the year for men to fill the depleted 
ranks of regiments at the front, made it necessary to resort 
to a draft. This aroused a bitter feeling among those who 
did not favor the war, and Governor Buckingham took active 
measures to quell any hostile demonstrations. Before the 
year closed, many of the regiments, whose term of service- 



272 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



[1863. 



had expired, returned home, and received a hearty welcome. 
A large portion of these men re-enlisted, and, after a brief 
veteran furlough, again left their homes, to join the army. 



1 The Fifth and Twentieth in the 
Twelfth Corps, the Fourteenth and 
Twenty-seventh in the Second Corps, 
and the Seventeenth in the Eleventh 
Corps. 

* The Twentieth lost one-third of its 
number : twenty-seven officers and men 
were killed, sixty-two wounded, and 
one hundred and eight taken prisoners. 
Those who were taken prisoners in this 
and other regiments, were exchanged 
within a few days. 

3 The Fifth, Fourteenth, Seven- 
teenth, Twentieth, and Twenty-seventh 
were in the battle of Gettysburg, and 
also the Second Battery. 

♦ The Seventeenth lost more than 
half its number. Twenty were left dead 
on the field, eighty-one were wounded, 
and ninety-seven taken prisoners. Lieu- 
teuaut-Colonel Douglass Fowler of Nor- 
walk was struck down while leading 
his men in a gallant charge, and sleeps 
in an unknown grave on the battle-field. 
The senior captain of the regiment, 
James E. Moore, was among the killed. 
He was a color-bearer in the war with 
Mexico, and greatly beloved by his com- 
pany. The Twenty-seventh went into 
the battle with only seventy-four men : 



of these, eleven were killed, and twenty- 
four wounded. Lieutenant - Colonel 
Henry C. Merwin fell in the assault of 
July 2. He was a brave and efficient 
officer. 

6 At Irish Bend, the Thirteenth and 
Twenty-fifth suffered heavy losses. The 
latter regiment was under fire for the 
first time. Among the killed was Sam- 
uel S. Hayden of Windsor Locks, "a 
brave, tender - hearted, conscientious. 
Christian patriot." 

6 Colonel John L. Chatfield was 
wounded while leading his regiment 
(Sixth), and died a few weeks ^fter at 
his home in Waterbury. One of the 
first to raise a company at the beginning 
of the war, he developed remarkable gifts 
as an officer. 

7 A large portion of the prisoners at 
Audersonville from Connecticut, as well 
as other Stales, never left the place alive. 
Of those who survived, but few escaped 
the effects of weakness and disease 
caused by lack of wholesome food and 
water. About the first of June, 1863, 
over two hundred Connecticut men were 
brought to Andersonville among the 
prisoners captured from Butler's army. 



1864.] CONNECTICUT IN THE CIVIL WAK. 273 



CHAPTER XLIV. 

1864. 

BATTLES OF DRURY'S BLUFF AND COLD HARBOR. 

SIX of the vetemn regiments of Connecticut that had been 
engaged in service on the South- Atlantic coast, were 
ordered, in the spring of 1864, to join the army in command 
of General Butler.^ The purpose of this expedition was to 
ascend the James River, to a point near Petersburg, and 
attack Richmond on that side. Early in May, General But- 
ler's force, numbering thirty thousand men, embarked on 
transports, and followed gun-boats up the James River. 
They landed at Cit}' Point and Bermuda Hundred ^ without 
opposition. 

Within a few days, movements were made in the direction 
of Richmond, in which the Connecticut troops took an active 
part, and were engaged in several sharp skirmishes. The 
battle of Drury's Bluff opened on the morning of the 16th 
of May ; and the Union forces, after a brave resistance, were 
compelled to retire. The heroic conduct of the men, and 
the ability shown by General Terry in handling his division, 
and also by Colonel Hawley, who commanded a brigade, were 
recognized in every direction. The casualties of this fruit- 
less campaign fell heavily upon the Connecticut regiments ; 
but they fully sustained, under the most trying circumstances, 
the reputation they had already won.^ 

During these spring days the Army of the Potomac, in 
command of Grant, had commenced its march through the 



274 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



[1864. 



Wilderness. The story of this hand-to-hand combat be- 
tween the armies of the North and South is one of the most 
terrible in the annals of war. In the cavalry skirmishes that 
were made in advance, the First Connecticut bore a gallant 
part. It was a company of this regiment that opened the 
battle of Spottsylvania, in which the Fourteenth Infantry 
was also actively engaged. On the second day of the battle 
(May 9), while surveying the ground to find a good position 
to post his troops, Major-General John Sedgwick^ v,'as in- 
stantly killed by the bullet of a sharp-shooter. In his death, 
not only his native State, but the entire country, mourned 
the loss of a great leader. A gradu- 
ate of West Point, he early won dis- 
tinction for meritorious conduct during 
the Mexican war. When the Rebel- 
lion broke out, with unswerving loyalty 
he did all in his power to sustain the 
Union. As commander of the famous 
Sixth Corps, he rescued the army 
from destruction at Fair Oaks, and 
at Antietam was twice wounded while 
rallying and holding his men in the 
No sooner were these wounds liealed. 
than lie again stood at the head of the brave men who 
idolized their beloved general. At Chancellors ville his com- 
mand not only stormed and held the heights of Freder- 
icksburg, but almost saved the fortunes of that ill-fated 
day. It is not strange that Lincoln and those about him 
felt that Sedgwick was the man for the hour. Modest, and 
distrustful of his own ability, he twice declined the com- 
mand of the Army of the Potomac. Few men have been 
more beloved than was this great soldier by those who knew 
him best. Lion-hearted, but gentle in spirit, he was always, 
kind, and considerate of the feelings of others. Energetic, 
and courageous in action, his keen vision anrli cool judg- 




MAJOR-GENERAL JOHX 
SEDGWICK. 

thick of the conflict. 



1864.] BATTLE OF COLD HARBOR. 275 

ment made him a grand leader of men upon the battle- 
field. 

After the struggle at Spottsylvania Court-House, Grant, 
by light attacks in front, and at the same thiie pushing a 
large part of his force to the left, and thus getting in the 
rear of Lee's army, forced him to retreat to a new position. 
By the 1st of June, Grant had worked his wa}^ down to 
the Chickahominy, and the Confederate army was inside the 
main defences of Richmond, the centre of which was at 
Cold Harbor. 

The Second Connecticut Artillery, that had gained the 
reputation of being one of the best-equipped and best-drilled 
regiments in the service, was soon to prove its strength in 
battle. By a forced night-march, it had crossed the Pa- 
munky River, and joined the Union army, now within fifteen 
miles of Richmond, To them was assigned the head of the 
brigade of veterans who were ordered to attack the enemy at 
Cold Harbor, who held the line in front of the breastworks 
hidden behind a thicket of woods that could only be ap- 
proached by crossing an open plain several hundred yards 
in width. 

Late in the afternoon (June 1) the command was given to 
charge ; and the regiment, fourteen hundred strong, with 
fixed bayonets, sprung forward. They were under a terri- 
ble fire, but they did not falter. The enemy were driven 
back from their first line, but within the second line they 
were sheltered by a strong abatis of pine-boughs. This 
arrested the forward movements of the two battalions 
that were leading ; and the}' were now not only under the 
musketry-fire of the rebel infantry, but also of the guns 
in the intrenchments, not more than five rods distant. 

Colonel Kellogg, who was in advance of the line, fell 
dead, pierced b}- a dozen bullets.^ It was impossible to 
stand against such a fire ; and as best they could, the brave 
men crept back to cover, where the other battalions were 



276 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



[1864. 



lying, leaving nearly half their number dead or wounded 
on the field. The next morning the position of the Union 
forces were strengthened ; and the Second advanced, and 
occupied the line from which the enem}' had retreated.^ 

During the night (June 2), preparations were made for 
a general assault along the whole front of six miles. 
Before five o'clock in the morning the line was in motion, 
and within twenty minutes the Union forces were repulsed 
with a fearful loss of life. The Eighth, Eleventh, and 
Twenty-first Connecticut were in the charge with General 
Smith's Corps. Colonel Steadman, who 
led a brigade in this assault, in a let- 
ter written at the time, said, ''We 
formed in the woods in solid columns. 
I gave the command ' Forward ! ' We 
started with unloaded muskets and fixed 
bayonets. I was the first to enter the 
open field, and see the enemy's lines, 
— a curve. I bade farewell to all I 
loved. It seemed impossible to survive 
that fire; but I was spared, while the 
oflScers of my staff, who followed me 
closely, were struck down. We reached 
a point within thirty yards of the enemy's main works ; but 
the fire was too murderous, and my men were repulsed. 
We left the woods with two thousand men : in five minutes 
we returned, six hundred less." 

This vivid narrative of the repulse at a single point 
tells the story of what was passing in those few moments 
all along the line. The Fourteenth was not in this des- 
perate charge ; but during the six previous weeks since 
leaving winter-quarters at Stony Mountain, it had lost 
nearly half its number in the battles of the Wilderness. 

The attempt to break through the defences of Richmond 
on the north and east was given up ; and Grant determined 




GENERAL G. A. STEAD- 
MAN. 



1864. 



SIEGE OF PETERSBURG. 



277 



to move his army across the James River, and attack the city 
from the south. This movement was successfully accom- 
plished, and the army swung around until it was in front of 
the fortifications at Petersburg. The attempt to carry this 
position by surprise was a failure. The summer months, 
during which the siege was in progress, wei"e marked l)y con- 
stant casualties, and many of the brave sons of Connecticut 
lost their lives.'' 



' These regiments were the Sixth, 
Seventh, Eighth, Tenth, Eleventh, and 
Twenty-first. 

- Bermuda Hundred is at the ex- 
tremity of the peninsula formed by the 
James and Appomattox Rivers. 

3 Colonel Arthur H. Dutton was 
mortally wounded May 26. Graduating 
at West Point in 1861, he was placed on 
the staff of General Mansfield. He was 
afterwards put in charge of the defences 
at Fernaudina, Fla., where he received 
his ai)poi ntment as colonel of the Twenty 
first Connecticut. He won much credit 
as chief of staff, and at the time of his 
death commanded a brigade. 

* John Sedgwick was born in Corn 
wall, Sept. 13, 1813. After graduating at 
West Point, in 1837, he served through 
the Seminole war, and was promoted for 
gallant action during the war with Mexi- 
co. In 1860 Major Sedgwick was engaged 
in the construction of Fort Wise, near 
Pike's Peak. He took an earnest stand 
for the Union cause, and was appointed 
to succeed Robert E. Lee as colonel of 
the Fourth Regular Cavalry. 

5 Elisha S. Kellogg was born in 
Glastonbury in 1824. He had been 
trained amid experiences that had de- 
veloped a somewhat rough exterior, but 
was a born soldier, and won a reputation 
as one of the best officers in the army. 

t* AMONG other officers and men of the 



Fourteenth who lost their lives at Cold 
Harbor was Captain Samuel Fiskb 
of Madison. A graduate of Amherst 
College, at the time of his enlistment he 
was pastor of the Congregational church 
in Madison. He had already become 
known, not only as a devoted and suc- 
cessful minister, but as a brilliant and 
witty writer. His letters written in field 
and camp, gathered in a volume entitled 
" Dunn Browne in the Army," are among 
the most graphic pictures we have of 
army life. Captain Fiske was struck 
down while leading his companj'. On 
the morning of his death he said to his 
sister, " To-day I shall get my marching 
orders : well, I am ready." 

" Thomas F. Burpee of Rockville, 
who succeeded Colonel Dutton in com- 
mand of the Twenty-first, was mortally 
wounded at Cold Harbor, June 9, while 
going his rounds as brigade ofticer. Col- 
onel Burpee was a quiet, earnest Chris- 
tian man, faithful in all the duties of 
life. 

(Jeneral Griffin A. Steadman. 
This gallant young oSicer, after having 
escaped death in many perilous scenes, 
was mortally wounded before Peters- 
burg, Aug. 5. His noble qualities of 
head and heart commanded universal re- 
spect; and his promotion was won by 
arduous service, in which he had shown 
both courage and military ability. 



278 HlSTOHi: of COJSJSECTICUT. [1864. 



CHAPTER XLV. 

1864-1865. 

BATTLES OF WINCHESTER AND CEDAR CREEK. 

THE defeat of Sigel and Hunter in Northern Virginia left 
the Shenandoah Valle}' unprotected. Lee at once sent 
Earl}^ with a choice corps of twelve thousand men, with 
orders to pass down through the valley, and, if possible, 
attack Washington. Grant met this movement, not by rais- 
ing the siege of Petersburg, as Lee had hoped, but by send- 
ing Wright's Sixth Corps to defend the Capitol. The Second 
Artillery, still serving as an infantry regiment, was in this 
force.^ 

With the army that pressed forward under Sheridan to 
confront Early, there were also the First Cavalry in Wilson's 
division, the Eighteenth in Crook's Corps, and the Ninth. 
Twelfth, and Thirteenth, now returned from the Department 
of the Gulf, and coimected with the Nineteenth Corps. In 
the memorable battles nt Winchester and Cedar Creek, the 
regiments acted a noble part, and added to their well-earned 
reputation for valor in the hour of extreme danger. "-^ 

Near tlie end of September, Grant determined on a farthei- 
advance in the direction of Richmond. This movement 
called to the front many of the Connecticut men and officers 
connected with the Army of the James, whose service had 
been long and arduous at different points on the Atlantic 
coast. The capture of Battery Harrison was a gallant action, 
in which they gained deserved honor. On the Istof Octobei" 



1864.] CAPTURE OF FORT FISHER. 279 

(general Hawley's brigade moved forward on a march full of 
exposure and privation. A few days later, the enemy made 
a vigorous attack on the part of the line held by Terry's 
division ; and the failure of other troops to hold their ground 
would have led to a grave disaster, had not the Tenth firml}' 
kept its position. 

General Terry having been placed in command of a corps, 
an attack was made, early on the mornmg of Oct. 13, on 
the Confederate right ; but it was found impossible to carry 
the stronghold.^ The autumn passed, and wmter opened ; 
and, while the lines of the enemy were unbroken, there were 
signs of weakness. 

During December, Butler was ordered to join Admiral 
Porter in an attempt to capture Fort Fisher, at the mouth of 
Cape Fear River, on the coast of North Carolina. The 
assault proved a failure, much to the chagrin of Grant, who 
believed it was quite possible to gain possession of the place, 
and thus stop the blockade-running into the port of Wilming- 
ton. In seeking a leader for the second expedition, his 
choice fell upon General Terry. A part of the First Artil- 
lery, and the Sixth and Seventh Connecticut, were included 
ill the force placed at his disposal. 

On the morning of the loth of January, 1865, Porter 
opened the bombardment, while the infantiy landed, and threw 
up intrenchments. During the afternoon of the loth, two 
storming-columns advanced ; and after a sharp and gallant 
fight, in which the marines and infantry were all called into 
action, the fort was captured. This brilliant victory was 
recognized by Congress and the country with enthusiastic 
praise ; and Terry was at once nominated and confirmed as 
major-general of volunteers, and brigadier-general in the 
regular arm3\ 

Two Connecticut regiments, the Fifth and Twentieth, were 
in the wonderful march made by Sherman's army to the sea ; * 
but most of the active service of her troops, after the opening 



280 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. [l865. 

of 1865, was confined to the neighborhood of Kichraond. 
The early spring brought days full of toil and danger, but 
they were bright with hope as the signs increased that the 
enemy could not much longer hold the line of their intrench- 
ments. 

On the first day of April, Sheridan fought and won the 
decisive battle of Five Forks, in which the First Connecticut 
Cavalry were actively engaged. At midnight the First Artil- 
lery opened a fierce cannonade, and Grant ordered an ad- 
vance of three corps of his army in the early morning. In the 
assault upon Fort Gregg, the Tenth came under a heavy fire in 
a hand-to-hand conflict ; and the Second Artillery was in the 
struggle which was driving the army of Lee, broken and dis- 
heartened, before it. 

On the 9th of April, Lee signed terms of surrender at 
Appomattox Court-House, that virtually ended the war.^ The 
rebellion was crushed, and the life of the nation saved. In 
his annual message, at the meetmg of the Legislature in 
May, Governor Buckingham said, '- It is gratifying that our 
volunteers, from the gallant major-general who distinguished 
himself by storming and capturing Fort Fisher, down through 
the various grades of heroic ottieers, to the less conspicu- 
ous, but equally meritorious, privates, have not been sur- 
passed by any soldiers in the service of any government iu 
patient endurance on the field and in the hospital, in fortitude 
under im[)risonment and starvation, and in valor and intre- 
pidity in l)attle. Their record furnishes strong evidence 
that they entered the service under a deep conviction that it 
was a duty they owed to tlieir country, to humanity, and to 
God."« 

After the surrender of Lee, General Terry was placed in 
command of the Department of Virginia, with headquarters 
at Richmond ; and General Hawley was called from the com- 
mand of the forces in and about Wilmington, N.C., to be his 
chief-of-stafif. In this important position, these men, whose 



1865.] 



CLOSE OF THE WAR. 



281 




GIDEON WELLES. 



names are now so widely known and honoi'ed throughout the 
country, did a work that required rare qualities of executive 
ability and wise judgment. During the summer months, most 
of the Connecticut regiments returned 
home, and were mustered out. Their 
well-worn uniforms, thinned ranks, and 
flags torn and scorched in many a storm 
of battle, were the silent witnesses of 
the experiences through which they had 
passed. With the exception of Iowa and 
Illinois, Connecticut had sent more men 
into the field, in proportion to her popula- 
tion, than any other State. The whole 
number of soldiers enlisted was over fifty- 
four thousand. A very large proportion of these men were 
sprung from ancestors who fought in the war of the Revolu- 
tion, and could trace the line of their family inheritance from 
the little company of Puritans who laid the foundation of 
the commonwealth. They proved them- 
selves worthy of the honor put upon 
them in the hour when the life of the- 
nation was threatened. 

Not less, probably, than three thou- 
sand men from Connecticut enlisted in 
the naval service. Gideon Welles'^ of 
Hartford was the honored and efficient 
secretary of the uaxy in the War Cabi- 
net, and the name and services of 
Admiral Andrew H. Foote ^ recall 
some of the most important and thrill- 
ing incidents of the war. The lifetime 
of a generation has almost passed away since the struggle 
for tlie preservation of the Union came to a victorious close. 
While we rejoice in the present prosperity of our great 
Republic, and in the spirit of peace and good will that is fast. 




ADMIRAL ANDREW H. 
FOOTE. 



282 



HISTOliV OF CONNECrrCUT. 



[1865. 



obliterating all sectional lines, let us not forget the work 
and sacrifice of the loyal and patriotic men who made these 
blessings possible. 

Of those who returned to their homes at the close of the 
war, man}' have been called to occupy positions of honor and 
trust in business and civil affairs. As governor of the State, 
president of the Centennial Commission of 1876, and now 
senator of the United States, Joseph R. Hawley has won an 
enviable position among the leading statesmen of the country. 
Full of years and honors, the beloved '' war governor," Wil- 
liam A. Buckingham, ceased from his earthly labors, Feb. 4, 
1875. Noble in character, earnest in purpose, and Christian 
in s[)irit, he seemed to have been providentially raised up to 
guide the public sentiment, and conduct the affairs of the 
State, in the dark and uncertain hours that tried the courage 
and faith of the stoutest hearts. " 



' James Q. Rice, major in the Sec- 
ond Artillery, was instantly killed by a 
grape-shot in the battle of Winchester. 
Major Mice was a graduate of Wesleyau 
Iniversity, and at the time of his enlist- 
ment was in charge of a flourishing 
academical school at Goshen, Litchfield 
County. In the company which he 
recruited, were many of his old pupils. 
The writer of these lines cannot re- 
frain from a personal tribute to the 
noble Christian character of this gifted 
teacher of his boyhood days. Some- 
what stern in manner, hut gentle in 
spirit, he exerted an influence upon all 
with whom he came in contact that was 
both helpful and inspiring. 

2 Colonel Frank H. Teck of the 
Twelfth was struck by a shell at the bat- 
tle of Winchester while leading the regi- 
ment in a charge, and died the following 
morning. Colonel Peck was born in 
New Haven in 1836. He graduated at 
Yale in the class of 1856. He was study- 
ing law when the war broke out, but at 
once enlisted, and most of the time was 



in command of the Twelfth. His las; 
message to his family was, " Tell them 
I die cheerfully in the performance of 
my duty at the front." 

2 Henry W. Camp, major of the 
Tenth, was killed while leading the regi- 
ment in the charge made on the afternoon 
of Oct. 13. The life of this noble young 
oflicer is told in a volume entitled " The 
Knightly Soldier," written by his inti- 
mate friend, H. Clay Trumbull, D.D. 
His pastor, the Rev. Horace Bushnell, 
D.D., said of him, " I have never known 
so much of worth, and beauty, and truth, 
and massive majesty, — so much, in a 
word, of all kinds of promise, — em- 
bodied in a young man." 

* William Tecumseh Sherman is a 
direct descendant of the family, many of 
whose members have acted an important 
part in Connecticut history. His grand- 
father, Hon. Taylor Sherman, for a long 
time held the position of judge in Con- 
necticut. While these pages were pass- 
ing through the press (April, 1887), Gen- 
eral Sherman, in company with his 



WELLES AND FOOTE. 



283 



brother, Senator John Sherman of Ohio, 
Tisited the early home of his ancestors 
at Woodbury. 

5 The First Connecticut Cav- 
alry, under Colonel Ives, acted as an 
escort to General Grant when he met 
(Jcneral Lee. 

6 The chaplains of the Connecti- 
cut regiments deserve mention in this 
roll of honor. Many whose names are 
now widely known, not only performed 
faithfully the duties of their office in 
i^amp and hospital, but did gallant ser- 
vice in the field. The officers of the 
third brigade, at the close of the war, 
asked that Rev. H. Clay Trumbull, chap- 
lain of the Tenth Connecticut, might 
receive the brevet rank of major " for 
<listinguished services in camp and on 
the field." This request was indorsed 
by Generals Terry and Hawley in the 
strongest terms, but the rules would not 
permit the War Department to grant the 
honor. 

' Gideon Welles was a native of 
Connecticut. He was editor of the Hart- 
ford Times 1826-1837, and served in 
the Legislature 1827-1835. He was comp- 
troller of the State 1842-1846, and joined 
the Republican party upon its founda- 
tion. He was at the head of the delega- 
tion in the convention that nominated 
Lincoln for President. From 1861-1869 
he was secretary of the navy. On his 
retirement, in 1869, he resumed his resi- 
dence in Hartford, where he died, Feb. 
11, 1878, aged seventy-six years. 



8 Andrew Hull Foote was born in 
New Haven, Sept. 12, 1806. He entered 
the navy as a midshipman in 1822, and in 
1833 was flag-lieutenant of the Mediter- 
ranean squadron. In 1856 he commanded 
the " Portsmouth " on the coast of China, 
and arrived at Canton just in time to pro- 
tect Americans and their property in the 
war then beginning between England and 
China. His ship was fired upon by the 
Canton forts, and the apology which he 
demanded refused. He at once attacked 
the forts, and captured the strongest by 
storm. When the civil war broke out, 
he was in charge of the navy-yard in 
Brooklyn, from which he was soon called 
to the command of the fleet intended to 
operate in the Western waters. From 
Cairo, 111., he sailed Feb. 4, 1862, with 
seven gun-boats, to attack Fort Henry on 
the Tennessee, and two days after took 
the fort in an hour. On the 14th of Feb- 
ruary he made an unsuccessful attack 
on Fort Donelson on the Cumberland. 
Although suffering from a severe wound, 
he weut down the Mississippi, and 
opened the siege of Island No. 10, which 
was quickly reduced. He was now pro- 
moted to be rear-admiral, and was re- 
called to the East. Having been assigned 
to tlie command of the South-Atlantic 
squadron, he was on his way to discharge 
this duty, when overtaken by sickness in 
New-York City, where he died, June 26, 
1863. 



® The Legislature of 189.3 provided for tlie erection of memorials on the battle ■ 
-fields of the Civil War. commemorating the service of Connecticut regiments. 



284 



HISTOKY OF CONNECTICUT. 



CHAPTER XLVI. 

1818-1887. 

THE ERA OF INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS. 

FROM the time when the United States entered upon its 
independent life as a nation, a new irapnlse was given to 
the development of home indnstries, the restraints which 
had hampered them during the colonial period being now 
removed. With the growth of population, the increase of 




fitch's steamboat. 

wealth, and the fostering care of the Government, the 
energy and resources of active minds were encouraged to 
undertake the development of manufacturing interests. The 
period of renewed business activity following the close of 
the war of 1812, was the beginnino; of an era of industrial 
progress, that has continued ever since, and made Connecti- 
cut a veritable workshop of the Union. 

In the long list of inventors whose genius and skill have 
added to the comfort and happiness of mankind, the name of 
John Fitch ought to stand among the first. The disappoint- 



THE ERA OF INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS. 



285 



ment, suffering, and tragic end of his life should make us 
more anxious to do honor to this son of Connecticut. Others 
reaped the benefits of his inventive skill, and it has some- 
times seemed as if he was to be robbed also of the credit 
due his genius. In 1788 he obtained a patent for the ap- 
plication of steam to navigation. A boat was built in 1787 
which was able to make eight miles an hour. The times 
were unfavorable ; and although much interest was ex- 
pressed, the gifted inventor was unable to secure the money 
necessary to carry out his plans. In a letter written at this 
period, he says, '^This will be the mode of crossing the 




FIRST TROPELLEK. INVENTED BY FITCH. 



Atlantic in time, whether I shall bring it to perfection, or 
not : steamboats will be preferred to all other conveyances, 
and they will be particularly useful in the navigation of the 
Ohio and Mississippi. The day will come when some more 
potent man will get fame and riches for my invention." In 
this age of steam, John Fitch, the forerunner of Robert Ful- 
ton, ought not to be forgotten. 

The history of the great and successful manufacturing 
establishments of Connecticut, as a rule, goes back to a da\' 
of small beginnings. About the time of the adoption of 
the Constitution of the United States, Eli Terry of Windsor 
was making a few clocks of wood, that could be hung up 
against the wall. A few years afterwards he removed to 



286 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 

Plymouth, and continued in the same business. In 1800 his 
working-force consisted of two young men besides himself. 
The wheels were marked out on the wood with a square and 
compass, and then cut out with a fine saw and jack-knife. 
Twice a year Mr. Terry would start with a wagon-load of 
these clocks, and sell them at the scattered farmhouses and 
settlements west of the Hudson. He did so well, that, with 
the aid of several persons in Waterbury, he bought an old 
mill, introduced some new machinery, and turned out five 
hundred at one time. This overstocked the market, and the 
price was reduced more than one-half. In 1810 Mr. Terry 
sold his factory to Mr. Seth Thomas and a Mr. Hoadley. 
Three years after this, Mr. Thomas, with a capital of a few 
hundred dollars, started alone in the business in that part of 
Plymouth that is now known as the town and village of 
Thomaston. "With quiet sagacity and indomitable industry 
the young clockmaker guided his affairs with consummate 
ability, and laid the foundations of what has become, under- 
the guidance of his sons and successors, the largest clock- 
manufactory in the world. 

Mr. Terry, after selling out his business, resumed it again 
in time.. Among his apprentices was a lad named Chauncoy 
Jerome. As soon as Jerome came of age, he started a 
clock-factory on his own account. His principal shop was 
at New Haven ; and he showed great ingenuity and inven- 
tive skill in his work, which was marked in its financial 
conduct with many vicissitudes. The use of brass instead of 
wood in tlie manufactui-e of clocks made it possible to pro- 
duce them more cheaply ; and the demand, not only in this 
country, but from foreign nations, constantly increased. 
The establishments of Thomas and Jerome were the pioneers 
of many others that have made Connecticut famous for its 
production of docks. Hundreds of thousands of these 
time-keepers are sold from her factories annually, and it 
is safe to say there is scarcely a home in the United 



THE ERA OF INDUSTRIAL PROGREvSS. 287 

States where the tick of a Conuecticut clock cannot he 
heard. 

The old proverb, "There's nothing like leather," was 
especially true in early colonial times. The production of 
leather and the manufacture of shoes increased so rapidly, 
that, within nine years from the settlement of New Haven, 
shoes were made for export. The fact that the dress of 
servants, and other laborers, was often made of leather, in- 
creased the demand for its production. Both at Hartford 
and New Haven the court took care to see that the quality 
was the best. Again and again those vrho sought to palm 
off a poor article were fined or otherwise punished for their 
misdemeanor. 

After the Revolution, the tanning and manufacture of 
leather was an industry that began to thrive, and this busi- 
ness was for many years a growing source of prosperity 
in Connecticut. In later times the making of boots an(? 
shoes has fallen more largely into the hands of other States, 
but in certain lines the manufacture of leather is still an 
important factor in our industries. The belting-manufactory 
of P. Jewell & Son's of Hartford is one of the largest, if 
not the largest, in the world. The oldest, and one of the 
most extensive, saddle and harness manufactories in the 
country is in the " Charter-Oak " city. Workers in leather 
have made an honorable record in the civil as well as busi- 
ness affairs of the State. Roger Sherman, the statesman of 
Revolutionary times, was a shoemaker by trade. Marshall 
Tewell, governor and cnbhiet minister, was a member of the 
firm of P. Jewell & Sons ; and another worthy governor, 
Phineas C. Lounsbury, won a reputation first as the manu- 
facturer of good boots and shoes. 

Prior to the Revolution, such a thing as a pleasure-carriage 
was scarcely known. Times have changed ; and today 
the making of carriages is the leading industry of New 
HaveU;, the largest city of our Commonwealth. Coaches 



288 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 

aiul gigs were made here late in the last century, but it was 
not until about the time of the war of 1812 that four- 
wheeled carriages were introduced. In 1809 a young man 
named James Brewster, while on his way to New York, was 
detained in New Haven by the breaking down of the coach 
in which he was travelling. Strolling about the town, he 
came to Cook's carriage-shop, on Orange Street, and there 
a conversation with the proprietor took place which induced 
him to locate in New Haven. Mr. Brewster was careful to 
secure the services of first-class workmen, and soon built 
up a large trade. The firm which he founded, and its suc- 
cessors and branches, have constructed a greater variety of 
<?arriages than probably any other in the country. 

With establishments equipped with the best machiner}-, 
and capable of turning out a finished carriage every hour, it 
is not strange that Connecticut carriages, bearing the name 
of New Haven, are almost as well known in every part of 
the world as Connecticut clocks. The names of the ener- 
getic and able men who have built up this great industry are 
too numerous for us to mention with that honor which they 
deserve. 

As far back as 1732 the business of making hats was car- 
ried on in New England to such an extent that the hatters 
of London complained of interference with their trade. This 
article of dress was fashioned with considerable skill and 
care in colonial times. The fur of the beaver was more 
abundant than now, and was used more lavishly. A hatter, 
like the shoemaker and blacksmith, was a personage who 
throve in everv villasje. Methods of manufacturinoj were 
primitive; and in 1780, the earliest date of the business in 
Danbury, we learn that one journeyman and three appren- 
tices turned off three hats per day. 

As late as 1845, hats were made b}' hand ; but since that 
time, the introduction of machinery has wrought an entire 
revolution in this industry. The thriving city of Danbury, 



THE EBIA OF INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS. 289 

and the neighboring village of Bethel, are almost wholly 
given up to this trade. Single establishments are capable of 
producing a million dollars' worth of hats every year. 

The '' age of homespun," when the whir of the spinning- 
wheel and the click of the hand-loom were heard in almost 
every house, long since passed away. After the Revolu- 
tion a woollen manufactory was established at Hartford, 
which received aid from the General Assembly. President 
Washington, at the opening of Congress in 1790, wore a 
suit of broadcloth made in this factory. When David 
Humphreys of Derb}" was minister to Spain, he sent home, 
in 1802, a flock of Merino sheep. This improved quality 
of wool encouraged manufacture. A mill was built at 
Humphreysville (now Seymour), where the cloth was made 
for the suit which President Madison wore at his inaugura- 
tion in 1809. There are now more than one hundred 
establishments, scattered over the State, where wool is 
manufactured into every conceivable article of domestic and 
household use. The annual product of -these mills is over 
eighteen millions of dollars. The manufacture of cotton 
goods is nearly equal in value to that of wool. It was from 
Yale College that Eli Whitne}^ went to teach in Georgia in 
1792, and while there his Yankee skill invented the cotton- 
gin. His discovery made a revolution in the use of cotton ; 
but, like Fitch, he failed to reap the benefit that was honestly 
his due. Among those who have amassed large wealth in 
our Commonwealth, in the raanufactaring of cotton goods, 
the name of John F. Slater of Norwich is worth}' of special 
mention. One of the closing acts of his life was to set apart 
a fund amounting to over one million of dollars, the interest 
of which is annually appropriated to the education of the 
colored people of the South. 

The name of Florace Wells deserves an honored place 
among the benefactors of humanity. Before he became a 
resident of Hartford, in 1836, he was interested in the dis- 



290 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



covery of an ausesthetic to be used in dentistry to prevent 
pain. The employment of nitrous-oxide gas was suggested 
to his mind, and he used it successfully in alleviating suffer- 
ing. Late in 1844 he communicated the results of his ex- 
periments to prominent dentists in Boston. Tliis knowledge 
was used to his disadvantage, but the cr'^'dit of his remark- 
able discoverieS'Cannot be taken from him 

In 1814 a boy was born at Hartfoia whose restless dis- 
position caused much trouble to parents and teachers. 
At ten years of age he was working in a factory ; and at 
fouTteej: he ran away from home, and 
shipped befoie the mast on a vessel 
bound to India. It was on this long 
voyage that Samuel Colt, with the aid 
of his jack-knife, constructed the first 
model of the revolver that has since 
made his name famous in every part 
of the world. On his return home, 
he learned some of the secrets of 
chemistry from the manager of his 
father's bleaching and dyemg estab- 
lishment, and then started out on a 
lecturing- tour over the United States 
and Canada. The special novelty of his course of in- 
struction was the administration of '^ laughing-gas ;" and 
with the money made in this two-years' trip, he was enabled 
to continue his experiments with his revolving fire-arm. In 
1835 he visited Europe, and secured patents for his inven- 
tion. The same year a company was formed for manufac- 
turing the revolvers ; but the result was discouraging, and in 
1842 the concern became insolvent. For five years no re- 
volvers were made ; but at that time the war with Mexico 
broke out, and General Taylor sent for a supply. The Gov- 
ernment ordered one thousand from Colt, who had to con- 
struct a new model, for a pistol of the company's make could 




SAMUEL COLT. 



THE ERA OF INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS. 291 

not be found. This order was filled at the little armory at 
Whitneyville, where, ^^ears before, Eli Whitne}', with the en- 
couragement of Oliver ^V^olcott, then secretary of the treas- 
ury, had manufactured arms for the United States. 

Having filled this commission, other orders followed ; and 
Colt soon removed his works to Hartford. In 1852 he laid 
the foundations of the great factory in which millions of 
revolvers have since been made. Besides this vast estab- 
lishment, the armory of the Winchester Arms Company, at 
New Haven, has a world-wide reputation. 

Midway between Hartford and New Haven, the city of 
Meriden has, within a few years, become the centre of great 
and diversified manufacturing interests. So rapid has been 
the growth of these mdustries, that many of those who were 
identified with these humble beginnings are still living. The 
manufacture of electro-plated goods has attained immense 
proportions. The factories of the Meriden Britannia Com- 
pany are not only the largest in the United States, but in the 
world. ^ 

A few miles west of Meriden we come to the bus}' and 
growing city of Waterbur3\ For twenty 3^ears after the 
opening of this centur}', the town of ^Yaterbury decreased 
in i)opulation, until the outlook was very discouraging. A 
few humble dwellings were scattered on the hillsides over- 
looking the marsh and frog-pond that have since been trans- 
formed into the pleasant public square that lies in the heart 
of the city. About 1820 a new impetus was given to tlie 
production of gilt buttons, the making of which had been 
carried on for several 3^ears. in a small way. Since that 
time the place has become famous as the centre of great 
manufacturing interests, especially in the line of articles 
in which brass and copper are used. One firm has in 
operation machines which turn out eight millions of [)ins 
per day. The ingenuity and skill of Connecticut artisans are 
shown in the fact that more industries are secured by patent 
than in anv other State. 



292 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



According to the United-States census of 1880, the value 
of manufactured products of India-rubber was over twenty- 
iive millions of dollars. The discovery that made an almost 
worthless substance capable of such value and use, was 
made in 1838 by Charles Goodyear. The story of his life 
is deeply interesting. Born at New Haven in the opening 
year of the present century, he had reached his majority 
when he went into business, as an iron-manufacturer, with 
his father, at Philadelphia. Misfortune overtook him m 
this trade, and his attention was attracted to the manu- 
facture and use of India-rubber. 
Owing to the adhesiveness and de- 
composition of the goods made of 
the gum-elastic, the business, thus 
far, had proved a failure. 

In the face of difficulties that 
brought keen suffering, both to him- 
self and his family, Goodyear persisted 
in continuing experiments that for a 
long time ended m disappointment. 
A part of these weary years, in which 
men looked upon him as a foolisli 
and crazed man, was spent in the 
town of Xaugatuck, not far from the village that since 
those days has sprung up around a large rubber-manu- 
factory, that bears the great niventor's name. 

The change wrought in the India-rubber gum by sul- 
phurous gas, and a high degree of heat, was discovered by 
Goodyear in the town of Woburn, Mass., in the winter of 
1838-1839. The year that followed this discovery, that 
has proved the source of so much blessing to the world, was 
one of the saddest in the inventor's life. Great losses had 
been sustained in the manufacture of the gum, and for a 
long time he could find no one willing to listen to his 
plans. Patiently perfecting the new product, he discovered 




CHARLES GOODYEAR. 



THE ERA OF INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS. 293 

SO many uses to which it could be applied, that it finally 
required sixty patents to secure his inventions. It would be 
pleasant if, after these years of toil and suffering, we could 
speak of days of prosperity and abundant reward. This 
was not permitted. His rights were invaded by others, and 
expensive lawsuits left but little pecuniary reward for the 
long years of toil and privation. It was eight years after 
the death of Charles Goodyear (1860), and four years 
after the expiration of his patent, that the validity of his 
title to the merits and benefits of his great discovery was 
confirmed by the decision of the Supreme Court of the United 
States. Others have reaped a harvest of wealth from the 
field where he sowed in weariness and suffering, and gathered 
little ; but the pages of history will continue to give him the 
place of honor due a benefactor of mankind. 

The rugged and picturesque valley of the Naugatuck, from 
AVinsted to Bridgeport, is an illustration of the growth of the 
manufacturing interests of the State in the past fifty years. 
Growing villages and cities fill the valley, where a few lonely 
farmhouses once stood ; and the products of their diversified 
industries are sent into every part of the world. The same 
is true in the eastern part of the State, where the streams 
that had little value, in the eyes of the colonial fathers, now 
furnish the motive-power of great factories that give em- 
ployment to thousands of people. 

At the close of the Revolution, there were ten or twelve 
houses on the site where the city of Bridgeport is now built. 
In 1790 there were but one hundred and ten inhabitants-; 
1830 found a population of nearl}" eighteen hundred; and 
since that time the increase has been constant and rapid. 
The terminus of the Naugatuck and Housatonic Railroads, 
with an easy communication with New York, both by water 
and land, Bridgeport has advantages that have alread}^ made 
it a great manufacturing centre. We can only mention the 
l)ranch of industry by which it is most widely known. 



294 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 

Elias Howe, juii., invented the first practical sewing-ma- 
chine in 1845 ; and five years afterwards Allen B. Wilson of 
Pittsfield, Mass., received a patent for two improvements on 
another style of machine. His invention interested capital- 
ists in Waterbury and Watertown, and the manufacture of 
the machines was commenced in a small way at the latter 
place. As the business increased, it was removed to Bridge- 
j)ort. Salisbury iron, known as charcoal-iron, is unsurpassed 
in quality, especially for car-wheels. The mines in the north- 
western part of the State were worked as early as 1730 ; and 
during the Revolution they furnished the iron for cannon, 
chains, gun-barrels, and other munitions of war. Mines 
that are adjacent to coal-beds have the advantage in produc- 
tion ; but Connecticut, in 1880, produced thirty-eight thou- 
sand tons of iron. 

A volume would be needed to make even a brief men- 
tion of the various manufacturing interests of Connecti- 
cut. Their annual product of over two hundred millions of 
dollars in value gives some idea of their extent. We have 
referred to inventions and discoveries that have given the 
Commonwealth an enviable reputation for mechanical skill 
and ingenuity. In other directions the sagacity and untiring 
efforts of her leaders in industrial enterprises have been 
ci'owned with success. In the competition of the markets of 
the world, the goods from her factories find a ready sale. 
The armies of P^urope are furnished with her fire-arms. Eng- 
land buys her clocks and sewing-machines. France cannot 
furnish the homes of America with better sewing-silk than 
the mills of Connecticut."- Australia and the East prefer 
cutlery, axes, and carriages of her Yankee make ; and the 
product of her wool and cotton factories go to every part of 
the world. The Centennial Exhibition at Philadelphia in 
187(> gave ample proof of the ingenuity of her inventors 
and the skill of her artisans. Her exhibits were unsurpassed 
by any other State in the Union, " in their variety, their per- 



THE ERA OF INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS. 



295 



fection, aud their durability." Hartford has become noted 
through the development and success of the fire and life in- 
surance companies that have been organized and conducted 
by her citizens. The history of these companies is, to a 
great extent, the history of the insurance interests of the 
Jnited States. 

The growth of her villages and cities is an indication of 
the material prosperity that has attended the development 
of the industries of the people of Connecticut. One hun- 
dred years ago, New Haven, Hartford, and Norwich were 
scarcely more than over-grown villages ; and many of the 
most beautiful cities and towns of our Commonwealth have 
reached their present position of importance within the life- 
time of men now living. The future is to tell how large 
shall be the measure of blessing that will attend this pros- 
perity. The fathers and founders of the State endured hard- 
ship, but found peace aud happiness in a good conscience, 
and the development of character marked by morality, and 
devotion to noble aims. Only in this path of integrity aud 
righteousness can be found the way of life and enduring 
l)lessiug. Will the children of this later generation walk 
therein ? 



1 Tin WARE was first man u fact u red 
in Berlin about 1740. Tliis and liindred 
industries developed the Connecticut 
" Yankee pedler." 

- Silk-culture was undertaken in 
the State not far from 1732. President 



articles in behalf of the silk-induetrj-, 
and at Commencements wore gowns 
made of Connecticut silk. Dr. Aspin- 
wall of Mansfield began, in 1758, the 
enterprise from which originated the 
great silk-works of the Cheney Brothers 



Stiles of Yale College in 175S wrote at Manchester. 



296 lll«TORY OF CO^':NECTiCUT. 



CHAPTER XLVII. 
CONNECTICUT IN LITERATURE. 

THE literature in the homes of the people during colonial 
times, and long after the Revolution, consisted generally 
of the Bible, and a few books of a devotional or theological 
character. With little leisure at their command, they thought 
more than they read. Their interest in spiritual truth was 
deep and intense, and the themes 
brought to their attention by the 
able and scholarly pastors of their 
churches were pondered and dis- 
cussed with keen attention and pro- 
found sympathy. 

The leaders of the strong and 
thoughtful men and women who first 
settled in Connecticut had many of 
them received the advantages of a 

JONATHAN EDWARDS. ,.■,,-, . t , • 

liberal education ; and the views 
they held regarding civil and religious matters, soon formed 
a body of literature which in its words and spirit became the 
fountain-head of those principles of liberty that, united with 
Bible truth, developed the best type of Puritan character. 
The literature of those early days was limited, but potent in 
its sturdy discipline of mind, and inspiration of Christian 
ideals of manhood and womanhood. Among those nurtured 
under these influences, the name of Jonathan Edwards stands 
pre-eminent in the world of letters. As a metaphysician, he 




CONNECTICUT IN LITERATURE. 297 

has been called '• the greatest of the sons of men," and "- in 
power of subtle reasoning unmatched." This is the testi- 
mony of English and Scotch philosophers. 

Joseph Bellamy, a native of Connecticut, and pastor of the 
Congregational church in Bethlehem for a period of fifty 
years (1740-1790), was distinguished as a theological 
writer. Dr. Bellamy, in his life and work, represents a 
type of intellectual service that originated and developed the 
devotional literature demanded by the thoughtful minds and 
pious hearts of those who found their highest satisfaction in 
religious exercises. 

About the time of the breaking out of the Revolution, 
there was a stirring of thought and literary activity that 
revealed a change in the intellectual life of the people. The 
song-birds of those days of patriotic fervor were over-ambi- 
tious and crude in their style ; but they were the heralds of 
American literature, and as such deserve special considera- 
tion. Trumbull,^ Dwight, Humphreys,'^ and Barlow^ were 
fellow-students at Yale, and all, with one exception, natives 
of Connecticut. After the Revolution, Hartford became the 
residence of Barlow ; and, in connection with Dr. Lemuel 
Hopkins and his old college friends, he prepared a series of 
papers called "The Anarchiad," which favored a strong- 
federal constitution. The work, in the fields of literature, 
of this company of brilliant young men, who became known 
as " the Hartford wits," was performed at intervals in con- 
nection with absorbing duties, but it made a deep impression 
in their day. Since their time, Mrs. Lydia Sigourney,^ James 
G. Percival,^ John Pierpont,^ Fitz-Greene Halleck,' S. G. 
Goodrich,® and others among the natives of Connecticut, have 
won poetic laurels. Among the few who devoted themselves 
entirely to literar}' pursuits in the early part of this century, 
was the distinguished lexicographer, Noah Webster. Born 
at West Hartford, and a graduate of Yale, most of his life 
was spent in his native State. If power be measured ])y 



298 



HISTORY OF CONXECTICLTT. 




NOAH \Vi;BsTEK. 



influence, few names in the educational history of the country 
stand as high as that of Dr. Webster. It was not his mis- 
sion so much to aid in creating literature, as to open the 

doors of its treasure-house. 

The home of Lyman Beecher, 
the gifted minister of Litchfield 
from 1810 to 182G, was the birth- 
place of Harriet Beecher Stowe, 
whose fame as a writer is as world- 
wide as that of her brother, Henry 
Ward Beecher,® in the field of 
oratory. Whatever may be the 
final verdict of posterity regard- 
ing the genius of Mrs. Stowe, she 
will be known as having written one of the most wonderful 
books of the nineteenth century. "Uncle Tom's Cabin," 
next to the "Pilgrim's Progress," has probably been trans- 
lated into more languages, and been more widely read, than 
any other uninspired volume. 

Working in an entirely different field, Horace Bushnell,^" 
through the activities of his powerful 
and original mind, exerted an influ- 
ence in the realm of theological and 
si)i ritual thought, that has not been 
sur[)asscd by any other single mind 
in this generation. Dr. Buslinell was 
a prose-poet, with a style as unique 
and vigorous as tliat of Carlyle or 
Emerson. 

John Fiske, the eminent historian 
and essayist, Donald G. Mitchell, and 

Edmund Clarence Stedman are sons of Connecticut whose 
literary productions have given them highest rank among 
American writers of recent years. The intellectual life of Yale 




HORACE BLSUNELL. 



CONNECTICUT IN LITERATURE. 



299 



University is constantly making notable contributions to the 
literature of theology, science, philosophy, and history. 
The names of Dana, Whitney, Porter, Fisher, Harris, and 
others are known and honored on both sides of the Atlantic. 



1 John Trumbull was born in 
"Watertown, April 24, 1750. After grad- 
uating at Yale, where he filled the posi- 
tion of tutor for a time, he was admitted 
to the bar of Connecticut. He removed 
soon after to Boston, and continued hia 
studies in the office of John Adams. A 
year or two before the breaking out of 
the Revolution, he returned to New 
Haven; and in 1775 he wrote the first 
part of his famous poem, M'Fingal. 
" M'Fingal is a burlesque poem, directed 
against the enemies of American liberty, 
and holding up to particular scorn and 
contempt the Tories, and the British of- 
ficers, naval, military, and civil, in Amer- 
ica." In 1801 Trumbull was appointed 
judge of the superior court of Connecti- 
cut, which office he held until 1819. He 
died at the home of his daughter, in De- 
troit, in 1831. 

- David Humphreys, born July, 
1752, was a native of Derby. He took an 
active part in the war of the Revolution. 
In 1778 he was aid to General Putnam, 
with the rank of major. Two years 
after this, he was appointed aid to 
General Washington, in which position 
he continued during the war, having the 
rank of colonel. After acting as secre- 
tary to Thomas Jefferson for two years, 
while the latter was minister to France, 
he returned to Connecticut in 1786. It 
was at this time that he assisted in the 
])ublication of the Anarchiad. At the 
request of Washington, he spent some 
time at Mount Vernon, and, among 
other literary work, wrote a Life of Gen- 
eral Putnam. In 1790 he received an ap 
pointment to the court of Portugal, and 
-afterwards to the court of Spain. Upon 
his return to this country, in 1802, he in- 
terested himself in manufacturing and 



agricultural interests. He died in New 
Haven, Feb. 21, 1818. 

3 Joel Barlow was born in 1755, at 
Redding. He gained considerable repu- 
tation as a poet while in college. After 
graduating, he was appointed chaplain in 
the army, which place he filled until the 
close of the war, when he settled at Hart- 
ford, and began the practice of law. It 
was at this time (1787) that he published 
his best poem, the Vision of Columbus, 
and conducted a weekly newspaper 
calledt he American Mercury. In 1788 
he went to Europe as the agent of a land- 
company; but, finding it to be ti swin- 
dling concern, he severed his connection 
with it, and returned to this country. 
After serving abroad in various public 
capacities, and gaining considerable 
wealth in commercial enterprises, he 
again settled in this country, and inter- 
ested himself in politics, and in planning 
the foundations of a national university. 
He published a new edition of his great 
poem in 1808, under the title Columbiad. 
In 1811 he was appointed minister to 
France, with the object of negotiating a 
commercial treaty. It was necessary for 
him to have a personal interview with 
Napoleon; and he set out to meet the 
emperor, who was then at Wilna. He 
was taken ill on the way, and died at a 
Polish village near Cracow, Dec. 22, 1812. 
His recent biographer, Charles Burr 
Todd, says of Barlow, " His verse first 
gave American poetry a standing abroad. 
His prose-writing contributed largely to 
the triumph of Republicanism in 1800.. 
He was the first American cosmopolite, 
and twice made use of his position to 
avert from his country a threatened for- 
eign war. He was the godfather of the 
steamboat and canal, and sponsor with 



300 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



Jefferson of our present magnificent 
system of internal improvements; while, 
had he been permitted to carry out his 
grand idea of a national university, it 
is safe to say that American art, letters, 
science, and mechanics would now be 
on a much more advanced and satisfac- 
tory footing. 

* Lydia Sigournet, whose maiden 
name was Huntley, was born at Nor- 
wich, in 1791. For several years she 
was a teacher. Her first published work, 
a volume of poems, was issued in 1815 
She was married to Mr. Charles Sigour 
ney, a merchant of Hartford, in 1819, 
Among her published volumes is a de 
scriptive poem on the Traits of the Abo 
rigines of America, Pocahontas and 
other Poems, Lays of the Heart, etc. 
Mrs. Sigourney wrote several instructive 
books for the young, and was a constant 
contributor to magazines and other peri- 
odicals. She died at Hartford, June 10, 
1865. 

5 James G. Percival was born in 
Berlin, Sept. 15, 1795. After graduating 
at Yale College, he studied medicine. 
He was appointed professor of chem- 
istry at West Point in 1824, and in 1827 
assisted Noah Webster in revising his 
dictionary. In 1835 he aided Professor 
Shepard in making a geological survey 
of Connecticut, a report of which he pub- 
lished in 1842. He was appointed State 
geologist of Wisconsin in 1854, and held 
this position at the time of his death. 
Although his acquirements as a scientist 
were great, he will be chiefly remem- 
bered as a poet and literary man. His 
first volume of poems, containing Prome- 
theus and several lyric pieces, was pub- 
lished in 1821. Clio, a collection of prose 
and verse, came from the press in 1822. 
The Mind, Dream of a Day and other 
Poems, was published in 1843. Percival 
was an eccentric man, of shy, retiring 
disposition. Although in straitened cir- 
cumstances, he collected a rare library 
of some ten thousand volumes. He died 
in 1856. " Few men possessed higher 
poetical qualities than Percival. Hio 



learning was comprehensive and thor- 
ough. He had a rich imagination, a re- 
markable command of language, and 
wrote with a facility rarely equalled." 

6 John Pierpont was born in Litch- 
field, April 6, 1785. He graduated at 
Yale in the class of 1804. After filling 
the position of tutor for four years in the 
family of Colonel William Allston of 
South Carolina, he returned home, and 
studied law. Ill health and other con- 
siderations led him to abandon his pro- 
fession, and for a time he was engaged 
in mercantile pursuits. Entering the 
ministry, he became pastor in 1819 of 
the Hollis-street Unitarian Church in 
Boston. He had already published a. 
volume of poems in 1816, called The Airs 
of Palestine, which met with a favorable 
reception. Many of his short poems 
have been very popular, and had a wide- 
circulation. He died at Medford, Mass., 
Aug. 27, 1866. 

7 Fitz-Greene Halleck was born 
at Guilford, August, 1790. At the age of 
eighteen he entered a banking-house in 
New York, with which he afterwards 
became associated. For many years he 
was in the private office of John Jacob' 
Astor. In 1848 he retired to his native 
place, where he resided until his death. 
He early showed ability as a poet, and 
his reputation was established by the 
publication of a volume of his poems in 
1827. 

8 S. G. Goodrich, born at Ridgefield 
in 1793, is best known under his nom de 
plume of Peter Parley. He did much 
to popularize historical and scientific 
knowledge, and wrote a series of books 
for children, that extended through more- 
than one hundred volumes. 

9 Henry Ward Beecher was born 
in Litchfield, June 24, 1813, and died in 
Brooklyn, N.Y., March 8, 1887. After 
graduating at Amherst College, in 1834, 
he studied theology at Lane Seminary, 
Cincinnati, of which institution his- 
father was the president. He began 
his ministry in a Presbyterian Church- 
at Lawrenceburg, Ind., where he r«- 



CONNECTICUT IN LITEEATUEE. 



301 



mained two years. He then removed to 
Indianapolis, the capital of the State, 
where he remained until he accepted the 
pastorate of Plymouth Church, Brook- 
lyn, in 1847. From this time on, his 
ability as a platform-speaker and pulpit- 
orator was universally recognized. His 
death called forth the testimony on every 
side, that no voice had ever spoken with 
more marvellous range of power and in- 
fluence for humanity and the country in 
its hour of peril. 

>o Horace Bushnell was born at 
New Preston, then a part of Litchfield, 
in April, 1802, and died Feb. 17, 1876. 
After graduating at Yale College in 1827, 
he was, for a few months, on the edito- 
rial staff of the Journal of Commerce, 
and afterw^ards taught in a school at 
Norwich. In 1829 he became a tutor at 
Yale. He commenced the study of law, 
but in 1831 he decided to enter the min- 
istry. In 1833 he was chosen pastor of 
the North Congregational Church in 
Hartford, where he remained for twenty- 
four years. Ill-health compelled him 
finally to relinquish the active duties of 



a pastorate, but his pen was busy almost 
to the close of his life. Dr. Bushnell 
was a public-spirited citizen, and it was 
at his suggestion that the land was se- 
cured for the beautiful park in Hartford 
that bears his name. 

John Trumbull, the distinguished 
painter, son of Governor Jonathan 
Trumbull, was born in Lebanon, June 
6, 1756. His gallery of historical pictures, 
now the property of Yale University, is 
of great value. He was president of the 
American Academy of Fine Arts from 
its foundation in 1816, until the forma- 
tion of the National Academy in 182.5. 
Time adds lustre to his fame and influ- 
ence in the formative period of the art 
of painting in this country. He died in 
New York, Nov. 10, 1&43. 

Donald G. Mitchell, born in New 
Haven (1814). and a graduate of Yale, is 
well known as a writer under the pseu- 
donym of " Ik Marvel." His most suc- 
cessful book, the Beveries of a Bachelor, 
appeared in 1850, and has passed through 
several editions. New Haven has been 
the life-long home of Mr. Mitchell. 



802 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICrT. 



CHAPTER XLVIII. 



T 



THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF CONNECTICUT, 

HE founders of Connecticut had a high appreciation of 
education. If their first thought was of the church and 

religious privileges. ;he 
second was of the school. 
Both in New Haven and 
Hartford the public rec- 
ords show that teachers 
were emploN'ed, and schools 
opened, within a short time 
after their settlement. The 
example of these leading 
communities in making pro- 
vision for the education of 
their children, was followed 
by other towns as they 
sprung up. 

As early as 1650, the 
Connecticut colony ordered 
that ever}" township of fift}" 
families should sustain a 
school, in which reading 
to be taught. When the 
hundred families, a grammar 
school was ""'**-*^'^ to be set up, and teachers employed 
who could prepare any who might desire to enter the college 
at Cambridge. This provision was changed in 1672, and it 




PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF CONNECTICUT. 



303 



was only required that these grammar schools should be 
kept up in each county-seat. 

The colonial records give ample proof of the deep interest 
that was felt in Uic cause of education. The bequest of 
Governor Edward Hopkins by his will, made in 1657, laid 
the foundations of the present high schools of New Haven 



In A D A H * s Fall 
We finned all 




Heaven, to find, 
The Bible Mind. 



Chrifl cracify'd 
For fmners dy'd. 



The Deluge drown'd 
The Earth around. 



E L ij A H hid 
By Ravens fed. 



The judgment mode 
Felix airaid. 



A PAGE IN THE NEW-ENGLAND PRIMER 



and Hartford. This gift was the first of the many that have 
been bestowed by citizens of Connecticut to aid her schools 
and colleges. Very few branches of study were taught in 
the public schools of colonial times. The modern text- 
books, that put the principles of knowledge in numbers, 
language, science, and geography, in simple and classified 
form, were then unknown. But, while the range of learning. 



304 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



was limited, care was taken that there should be no illiterate 
children growing up. The obligation was placed upon every 
parent and guardian, '• not to suffer so much barbarism in 
an}' of their families, as to have a single child or apprentice 
unable to read the holv word of God and the oood laws of 




THE NORMAL SCHOOL: NEW BRITAIN. 1 



she colony ; ' and to bring them up to some lawful calling or 
employment,' under a penalt}' for each offence." 

Until after the Revolution, about the only books studied in 
the common schools were the New-England Primer, with its 
blurred and doleful pictures, and the Bible and Psalter. The 
now curious Hornbook - was in the hands of the younger 



PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF CONNECTICUT. 



305 



pupils ; while the older scholars had to depend, to a large 
extent, upon oral instruction. Arithmetic was only taught 
as far as the rule of three ; and the rules and examples were 
confined to the manuscript volume, that belonged to the 
teacher. The first geography for the use of schools was not 
published until 1784, and English grammar was seldom 
taught. Reading, spelling, and writing received special at- 
tention ; and the boys and girls of colonial times, in these 




COUNTUY SCHOOL IN TUK KAKLY PART OF THE CENTUKV. 

im[)ortant exercises, were quite proficient. The teachers 
wrote all the copies, and made and mended the pens, which 
were of goose-quills. 

The late President Humphrey of Amherst College, a na- 
tive of Connecticut, in writing of the period between 1790 
and 1810, says, " Our school-books were the Bible, Webster's 
Spelling-book, and • Third Part,' mainly. One or two others 
were found in some schools for the reading-classes. Gram- 
mar was hardly taught at all in any of them, and that httle 
was confined almost entirely to committing and reciting the 



>. 



306 HiSTOuv OF co:nnecticut. 

rules. Parsing was one of the occult sciences, in my 
day. 

'^ We had some few lessons iu geography, by questions 
and answers ; but no maps, no globes : and as for black- 
boards, such a thing was not thought of till long after. 
Children's reading and picture books, we had none : the 
fables m Webster's Spelling-book came nearest to it. 
Arithmetic was hardly taught at all, in the da3'-schools. As 
a substitute, there were some evening-schools in most of the 
districts. Spelling was one of the daily exercises, in all of 
the classes." 

In colonial days, the schools were often kept by men and 
women who spent a lifetime in the service. They believed 
m the adage, " Spare the rod, and spoil the child." Punish- 
ment for wrong-doing was severe. It is related of a fa- 
mous New-London schoolmaster, by the name of Dow, that 
he had two strips of board joined flatwise by a hinge, and 
those who broke the rules of the school were compelled to 
put their fingers between the two boards, which were then 
drawn close together, and fastened securely. While there 
IS much to admire in the methods of family and business 
trainmg employed in earlier times, it must be conceded, 
that, in the matter of education, the majority of the people 
were satisfied with very slender acquirements. The School 
Fund, created in 1795, from the sale of AVestern lands be- 
longmg to the State, did not for many years prove a bless- 
ing. The money given to the towns was so used that the 
people lost their interest in common schools. Teachers were 
very poorly paid, and there was little inducement to make 
it more than a temporary profession. Increasing dissatis- 
faction on the part of those who desired their children to 
have better advantaoes, led to the ors^anization of academies 
and select schools in many of the rural towns, as well as 
villages and cities. In 1837 it was found that not less than 
ten thousand children of more wealthy and educated faini- 



PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF CONNECTICUT. 



307 



lies were receiving instruction in these private schools, at a 
cost cousiderabl}^ greater than the amount expended for the 
remaining sixty or seventy thousand children. This con- 
dition of affairs, in connection with the fact that six thou- 
sand children of proper age were growing up m absolute 
ignorance, aroused attention. The efforts then made to 
bring about a change for the better, was the beginning of a 
movement that has gone steadily forward until the present 







THE MORGAN SCHOOL: CLINTON. 



time. Whatever may have been the former shortcomings of 
the public schools, it can now be truthfully said, that as re- 
gards buildings, apparatus, and qualifications of teachers, 
the schools in the cities and larger villages are equal to the 
best in the country. It is matter for regret that this cannot 
be said of a large proportion of the schools in the rural 
districts. Very much of the advance that has been made 
m the methods of teaching and conducting the public schools 
of the Commonwealth, is due to the influence of the nor- 



308 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



inal school/ and the ability and faithfulness of the men who 
have had in charge the interests of education during the past 
half-century. In 1838 Henry Barnard entered upon his 
duties as the first State Superintendent of Schools. His ser- 
vices gave a new impulse to the cause of education. Among 
his co-laborers the names of David N. Camp and Charles 
Northend deserve special mention. In 1865 the State Board 
of Education was organized, and Daniel C. Oilman was 
elected secretary. He was succeeded in 1867 by Birdsey G. 
Northrop, who held the office until January, 1883, when the 
present secretary, Charles D. Hine, entered upon the duties 
of this position. All of these eminent instructors have done 
much to advance the cause of education throughout the 
Commonwealth. 



1 The State Normal School was 
opened in 1850. Under its present effi- 
cient management, it is doing excellent 
work in preparing teachers for their pro- 
fession. 

2 The Hornbook, as shown on page 
302, was made of a thin board with a 
handle. The leaflet, containing the let- 
ters of the alphabet, with the Lord's 
Prayer, and other sentences, was fastened 
on the board, and covered with a piece of 
polished horn. Usually the handle had 
a hole in it, so that it could be slung to 
the girdle of the scholar. 

3 The Morgan School, at Clinton, 
is a noble illustration of what a wise lib- 
erality can do for a country town and 
village community. Charles Morgan, 



a native of Clinton, had gained large 
wealth as a merchant and ship-owner in 
New York. In 1S69 Mr. Morgan decided 
to establish a free high school in the vil- 
lage of his birth. The beautiful school 
building was opened in 1871, and every 
child in the town may enjoy its advan- 
tages. Before his death, in 1878, the 
gifts of Mr. Morgan to the institution 
amounted to over three hundred thou- 
sand dollars. This endowment has en- 
abled the trustees to sustain an academic 
department of the highest order, that is 
patronized by a large number of schol- 
ars from neighboring towns. The school 
is equipped with excellent scientific ap- 
paratus, and has a valuable library. 



HlGHEll SCHOOLS OF LEAKXING. 



309 



CHAPTER XLIX. 
YALE UNIVERSITY. 



THP^ eai'ly history of Yale College, from its foundation at 
Saybrook until it was removed to New Haven, has 
already l>een o-iven.* After tlie seliool was fairly settled 




YALE-COLLE(.E BUI LDl M..- . 

" The Old Brick Row." 

upon the site where it has since remained, it continued to 
prosper, until, before the close of the century, the number of 
students had risen to one hundred and thirty. The first 
building erected for the use of the college was of wood, three 
stories high, containing, besides chambers for the scholars, a 

* See page 109. 



810 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 

hall, libraiy, and kitchen. In 1752, South Middle College 
was erected with funds that were secured from the proceeds 
of a lottery, and by a gift, from the Assembly, of money 
that had come into the colonial treasury from the sale of a 
French prize that had been captured by a Connecticut frigate. 
The other buildings in the line known as "the old Brick 
Row," were mostly erected before the opening of the present 
centur3^ 

For many years, instruction was given by the president, 
aided by tutors, whose number varied from one to five. 
The study of theology was made prominent, and a large 
proportion of the graduates entered the ministry. College 
customs in colonial times reflected the aristocratic distinc- 
tions that marked society. As late as 1767 the names of the 
students were arranged, not alphabetically, but according to 
rank. Undergraduates could not wear their hats in the front 
door-yard of the house of the president or a professor, and 
were compelled to " uncover within ten rods of the person 
of the president, eight rods of the professor, and five rods of 
a tutor." A freshman could not play with any member 
of an upper class without being asked, and a sophomore 
might discipline a freshman after obtaining leave of a senior. 

The students addressed each other in Latin. The disci- 
l)line of tile school was enforced b\' a system of fines ; but 
freshmen and incipient sophomores sometimes, with much 
formality, were cuffed or boxed on the ear by the president 
in the chapel. 

From 17o9 to 17GG Thomas Clap was the president of the 
college. His administration was sharply criticised because 
of his action towards students and teachers who S3'mpathized 
with the revival movement which followed the preaching of 
Whitefield. The Assembly at one time was asked to inter- 
fere with the management of the school ; but President Clap, 
in a masterly argument, convinced them that the corporation 
was independent of the State in its conduct of the institution. 



YxVLE univp:rsity. 



311 



It is put on record by those who knew him best, that he was 
a '• tiuly great man, a gentleman of superior natural genius, 
most assiduous application, and indefatigable industry." 

During the Revolution, the college was almost broken 
up. The remnant of the sophomore and junior classes 
were quartered at Glastonbury, and the freshmen at Farm- 
ington. A few seniors remained at New Haven, under tutor 
D wight. Noah Webster was then at Yale, and relates, that, 
when General Washington passed 
through New Haven on the way to 
Cambridge to take command of 
the American army, he was in- 
vited to see a company of students 
perform their military exercises. 
Having expressed his gratification 
at the manner they acquitted them- 
selves, they escorted the general 
'' as far as Neck Bridge," Web- 
ster playing the fife. In July, 
1779, New Haven was invaded by 
the British. Among those who 
shouldered their muskets, and did 
all they could to resist the enemy, 

was the venerable ex-president Daggett. He was taken 
prisoner, and received injuries that hastened his death. 

The officers of the college suffered great inconvenience 
from the depreciation of the Continental currency, and were 
compelled to eke out a living by payments for services, made 
in beef, pork, wheat, and Indian corn. 

Ezra Stiles, the president of Yale from 1777 to 1795, was 
one of the best scholars of his day. As an antiquarian and 
Orientalist, he had no peer in the country. His restless mind 
was interested in almost every department of learning. In 
the midst of his varied researches and official duties, he took 
an active part in plans for the abolition of the slave-trade. 




tZUA ^TlLLi 



312 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 

It was during the administration of President Stiles, that the 
State made a liberal grant to the college, in return for which 
the governor, lieutenant-governor, and six senior senators 
were made ex-officio members of the corporation. South 
College, built in 1794, was named Union College in honor of 
this closer connection between the college and the common- 
wealth. 

It was still the day of small things. Lyman Beecher, who 
was a student at this time, gives us these reminiscences : " The 
stairs in the main building were worn nearly through ; the 
rooms defaced and dirty. As to apparatus, we had a great 
orrery almost as big as the wheel of an ocean-steamer. It 
was made to revolve, but was all rusty : nobody ever started 
it. There was a four- foot telescope, all rusty ; nobody ever 
looked through it, and, if they did, not to edification. There 
was an air-pump so out of order that a mouse under the 
receiver would live as long as Methuselah. There was a 
prism, and an elastic hoop to illustrate centrifugal force. 
This was all the apparatus the college had." 

Upon the death of Dr. Stiles, in 1795, Timothy Dwight 
became president. Under his guidance, the college made 
rapid advancement. His strong intellect and executive 
ability shaped and directed the affairs of the institution at a 
critical period. The impress of his marked personalit}' and 
religious spirit was of a deep and abiding character, and it 
was his privilege to broaden the foundations of the college 
that has become the great university over which his grandson 
and namesake presided from 1886 to 1899. 

The Medical School, organized in 181 0, was the first pro- 
fessional school connected with the college. The Department 
of Theology was established in 1822, and the Law School two 
years afterwards. The Divinity School has been especially 
prosperous, and from its beginning has been favored with the 
services of teachers of distinguished ability. 

Very early in his administration, President Dwight ^ave 



YALE UNIVERSITY. 



313 



attention to the better equipment of the college in the Depart- 
ment of Natural Science. It was through his encouragement 
that Benjamin Silliman prepared himself for the distinguished 
service as a teacher and writer that reflected so much credit 
on the college in the early part of this century. In 1847 
the Scientific School was instituted that has now become the 
largest department of the university, after the academical. 
This school bears the honored name of Joseph E. Sheffield, 
whose donations for its benefit 
amounted to upwards of half a 
million of dollars. 

The work of developing the plans 
inaugurated by Dr. Dwight was 
carried forward with eminent abilit}^ 
under the long and prosperous ad- 
ministrations of Presidents Day 
and Woolsey. From the thousands 
of students who graduated from 
Yale during the years in which 
these distinguished men were at 
its head, there has come testimony, 
in innumerable ways, that the char- 
acter of these Christian scholars 

and their associates has been one of the chief causes of the 
valuable results accomplished by their Alma Mater. 

Upon the resignation of Dr. Woolsey, in 1871, Noah 
Porter was elected president of the college. Like his prede- 
cessors, he had been long connected with the institution as a 
professor. No higher honor can be paid to this gifted 
scholar than to say that his administration was worthy of the 
best traditions of the college. When he resigned his office, 
in 1886, the college had long been in reality a university. 
The growth and advance of its professional, scientific, and 
art departments, demanded the change in name and organic 
relation that should brins; them into the most close and vital 




BENJAiUIN SILLIMAN. 



31-t HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 

relation. Naturally the names of distinguished scholars and 
teachers from every part of the country were mentioned in 
connection with the vacant presidency. The choice, with 
singular unanimity, fell upon Timothy Dwight. For many 
years an honored professor in the Divinity School, respected 
for his scholarly acquirements and executive ability, and 
beloved by all who knew him, he was eminently successful in 
the discharge of his duties as the head of the great school of 
learning of which Connecticut has such reason to be proud. 

The history of Yale University is in many ways identified 
with that of the country. The list of her graduates contains 
the names of men who have been emhient in all the walks of 
life. As a collegiate school, she furnished instruction to a 
large number of the most gifted of the ministers of Connec- 
ticut and New England. At the time of the Revolution, her 
graduates, with sword and pen, did a noble work. In that 
l)and we find the names of Trumbull, Dwight, Humphre3'S, 
and Barlow. A little later on, when there came a demand 
for trained minds in laying the foundations of the govern- 
ment, this service fell, to a remarkable extent, into the hands 
of those who had been educated at Yale. John C. Calhoun, 
a graduate of the college, when a member of the House of 
Representatives, made the assertion that he had "seen the 
time when the natives of Connecticut, together with all the 
graduates of Yale, there collected, wanted only five of being 
a majority of that body." 

In one class alone (1837), are to be found the names of the 
Honorable William M. Evarts, Chief Justice Waite,^Samuel J. 
Tilden, and Edwards Pierrepont, attorney-general and minis- 
ter to England under Grant. " In scholarship, Yale is rep- 
resented by such names as Webster, Worcester, Woolsey, 
Hadley, and Whitney ; in science and invention by Silliman, 
Morse, Whitne}', Dana, and Chauvenet ; in divinity, by 
Edwards, Hopkins, Emmons, Dwight, and Ta3dor ; in the 
State and at the bar, by Grimke, ]Mason, Kent, Calhoua, 
and Evarts." 



YALE UNIVERSITY. 315 

This great university has a reputation that gathers within 
its halls students from every part of the countr}'. Among 
them are the sons of wealthy and honored parents ; but they, 
alike with those who are compelled to meet privations in order 
to secure an education, are measured by standards of char- 
acter and intellectual ability. There is no boy in Connecti- 
cut who desires the benefit of a university training, and shows 
that he has capacities worthy of such opportunities, that need 
turn away from the doors of Yale. ' 

^ Morrison R. Waite was born at honor as one of the counsel of the United 

Lyme, Nov. 29, 1816. After leaving col- States in the Geneva arbitration on the 

lege, he studied law in his native town; 'Alabama" claims. He was president of 

and after his admission to the bar, he re- the Constitutional Convention of Chic 

moved to Ohio. "While a resident of in 1873, and in 1874 was nominated and 

Toledo, he declined many nominations to confirmed as Chief Justice of the United 

public office, preferring to devote him- States. Few men have been more uni. 

self to his profession, in which he built versally esteemed by the nation than this 

up a large practice in the higher branches great jurist, 
■of the law. He gained distinguished 

2 Arthur Twining Hadley entered upon his duties as president of the university 
in 1899. President Hadley was born in New Haven (1856) and graduated at Yale 
<1876). 

The Two Hundredth anniversary of the founding of the college was celebrated 
MJth elaborate and impressive ceremonies, October 20-23, 1901. 



316 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



CHAPTER L. 
WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY. 

THE early history of the Methodist-Episcopal Church in the 
United States is full of romantic interest. Very few of 
the evangelistic preachers who kindled the flame of spiritual 




WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY, MIUDLETOWN. 

fervor that swept over every part of the country in the open- 
ing years of this century, had received the advantages of a 
liberal education. The quickening of the religious life, how- 
ever, soon developed in the best and strongest minds among 
them a desire for intellectual discipline and knowledgi.'. 
This interest increased with the rapid growth of the denomi- 



WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY. 



317 



nation, and the opening of preparatory schools in New 
England led to the discussion of plans for founding a college 
in the same section. 

The vacant buildings of a once flourishing militar}^ school 
at Middletown were offered for sale at an almost nominal 
sum. A casual suggestion that they might be purchased for 
the use of the projected institution, resulted in a serious 
agitation of the plan. Further competition for the location 
of the college led the owners of the property to deed it free 
to the Methodist conferences inter- 
ested in the matter, with the under- 
standing that an endowment fund 
of forty thousand dollars should be 
raised. Nearly eighteen thousand 
dollars of this amount was promptly 
.subscribed by citizens of Middle- 
town. 

In May, 1831, the State granted 
the college a charter ; and in the 
following autumn its doors were 
opened to students. Previous to 
this, Wilbur Fisk, principal of the 
Wesleyan Academy at Wilbraham, 
Mass., had been elected president 

of the university. Dr. Fisk was a man of rare piety and 
beautiful character, and his administration of the college was 
marked by great prudence and ability. At the death of Dr. 
Fisk, in 1839, Stephen Olin was elected president. Dr. 
Olin had won a national reputation as a preacher of wonder- 
ful power and eloquence. Ill health, unfortunately, made it 
impossible for him to do what he wished for the college ; but 
he was able to improve its financial condition, and his name 
and influence were helpful in many ways.^ He was succeeded 
in 1852 by Augustus W, Smith, who had been connected with 
the institution since its foundation. At this time the raisins: 




WILBL'R FISK, U.D. 



318 inSTOKY OF CONNECTICUT. 

of ail endowment fund of nearly one hundred thousand dol- 
hirs, placed the college upon a stronger financial basis." 

Upon the resignation of Dr. Smith, in 1857, Joseph 
Cummings was elected president. Great material improve- 
ments were made under his administration. A substantial 
and elegant library building was opened in 1868. The 
beautiful Memorial Chapel, erected in memory of those 
students and alumni who fell in the Avar for the Union, 
was dedicated in 1871. During the same year, the Orange 
Judd Hall of Natural Science, built at a cost of one hun- 
dred thousand dollars, was opened for use. It contains 
a well-furnished chemical laboratory, and a fine museum 
of natural history.'^ 

Dr. Cummings was succeeded in 1875 by Cyrus D. Foss, 
D. D., who filled the office with marked success. Dr. Foss, 
having been elected one of the bishops of the Methodist 
Church, resigned in 1880. For several years the presidency 
was held by J. W. Beach, D. D., who was succeeded by 
Bradford P. Raymond, LL. D. Wesleyan University has 
been fortunate in the character and ability of the men who 
have filled her chairs of instruction. While the college is 
vitally connected with the Methodist Episcopal Church, it 
has never been in spirit or teaching a sectarian institution. 

The original intention of the founders to make it a uni- 
versity in fact as well as name, has not been realized, and 
has long since been abandoned; but as a college, it stands 
in the front rank. The standard of scholarship is high, 
and the course of instruction is fitted to develop a broad 
and liberal culture. 

^Dr. Olin, when lirst elected, - The endowment of the college 

was unable to assume the duties is upwards of $6,000,000. 
of the office on account of ill ^ The Museum ' was arranged 

health. He resigned in 1841 ; and under the direction of Professor 

Nathan Bangs, D.D., was elected W. X. Rice, LL.D., whose reputa- 

to the presidency. Dr. Bangs ac- tiou as a scholar and instructor 

cepted the position with reluctance, has brought honor to the institu- 

and in the following year (1842), tion he has so faithfully served, 
as the health of Dr. Olin had im- 
proved, resigned, that he might 
take the office. 



TRINITY COLLEGE. 



319 



CHAPTER LI. 
TRINITY COLLEGE. 

IN 1819 the Rev. T. C. Bmwnell, D.D., a graduate of, and 
for more than ten years a tutor and professor in, Union 
College, was elected bishop of the Episcopal Church in Con- 
necticut. The purpose to found a college, to be under the 




TllIMTY COLLEGE, UARTFORD. 

direction of his diocese, ripened early in the mind of Bishop 
Brownell ; and in May, 1823, Washington, now Trinity, Col- 
lege, was chartered by the State. The charter provided that 
an endowment fund of thirty thousand dollars should be 
secured. Over fifty thousand dollars was immediately sub- 
scribed ; and, as most of this came from Hartford, it was 
decided to locate the college in that city. The first buildings, 
were erected on the site now occupied by the State Capitol. 



320 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 

Dr. Brownell was elected president in May, 1824. The 
course of study was made somewhat elective ; and those who 
desired to follow a partial course for not less than two years, 
were given an English diploma. This new feature proved 
attractive, and the college had a fair number of students 
from the time it was opened. During the seven years that 
Bishop Brownell was at the head of the institution, the 
endowment fund was increased, and a good library obtained. 
The pressure of his other duties made it necessary for him 
to resign, in 1831. Nathaniel S. Wheaton, then rector of 
Christ Church, Hartford, was elected his successor. He was 
especially successful in improving the financial condition of 
the college. With lavish generosity he gave of his own pri- 
vate means, and his taste and care did much to beautify the 
collesfe-grounds. 

Dr. AVheaton accepted the rectorship of Christ Church, 
New Orleans, in 1837, and Silas Totten was elected presi- 
dent. Dr. Totten had been for four years the professor of 
mathematics and natural philosophy. During his admin- 
istration of eleven years, a third dormitory building, named 
Brownell Hall, was erected, a number of scholarships en- 
dowed, and the name of the institution changed from '• Wash- 
uigtou " to Trinity College. 

In 1848 Dr. Totten resigned, and John "Williams was 
■chosen to the presidency. Dr. Williams was in the early 
pi-ime of a noble manhood, the promise of which was nobly 
''ulfilled in all the offices which he was called to occupy. 
He was the first graduate of the college chosen to administer 
its affairs. Under his direction a Theological Department 
was opened, which led to the establishment of the Berkeley 
Divinit}' School, organized in 1854, and located in the city 
of Middletown. 

The election of Dr. Williams as assistant bishop of the 
Diocese of Connecticut, in 1851, soon made it necessary for 
the college to seek a new president. Daniel R. Goodwin, a 



TRINITY COLLEGE. 321 

graduate of Bowdoin College, was elected to this position, 
and discharged its duties for seven years. In 1860 Samuel 
P21iot, professor of history and political science, became the 
president ; and, after four years of service, he was suc- 
ceeded by John B. Kerfoot, who within two years resigned, to 
accept the bishopric of Pittsburg. 

During this period of frequent changes, the college was 
placed upon a stronger financial basis by the gifts of many 
of its friends. Abner Jackson, a graduate of the college in 
the class of 1837, was elected president in 1867. Under his 
administration, the number of students increased, and the 
college received a legacy of sixty thousand dollars from Mr. 
Chester Adams of Hartford. 

In 1871 the city of Hartford voted to offer a site to the 
State for the erection of a new Capitol. A proposition to 
purchase the college-grounds for this purpose met with much 
opposition, and was twice rejected by the trustees. The 
sale was finally made, and the city paid six hundred thou- 
sand dollars for the land. A new site was bought, contain- 
ing about seventy-eight acres, a mile south of the old campus. 

Dr. Jackson died in 1874, and Thomas R. Pynchon was 
elected to the presidency. Under his direction, the plans* 
were completed for the beautiful buildings now used by the 
college. He was succeeded in 1883 by the Rev. George 
"Williamson Smith, D.D. Dr. Smith resigned in 1903, and 
Dr. Flavel S. Luther, who had been connected with the col- 
lege for many years, was elected president. Trinity College 
is a worthy representative of the Episcopal Church, under 
whose care it has prospered, and gives promise of increasing 
usefulness. 



322 HISTORT OF CONNECTICUT. 



CHAPTER LII. 
CONNECTICUT IN THE LIFE OF THE NATION. 

FROM its earliest settlement, the history of Connecticut is 
the history of a republic. Tlie Constitution adopted by 
the freemen of Hartford, Wethersfield, and AVindsor, in 
1639, expressed the will of an independent commonwealth. 
All power proceeded from the people, and they swore alle- 
giance alone to the government of the State they had 
founded. No company of men did more in laying the foun- 
dations upon which the supei-structure of our national insti- 
tutions have arisen, than the Puritan fathers of Connecticut. 
Patient, faithful, God-fearing, they built even better than 
they knew. But their work was no accident. They were 
alert and quick to seize Qxcry favorable opportunity to 
strengthen their position as a free commonwealth. This 
secured the charter that bestowed upon them such ample 
privileges and freedom, that it remained the law of the State 
long after its separation from the mother country. 

The wise administration of affairs that gave Connecticut, 
in the colonial period, her " halcyon days of peace," was 
marked by able statesmanship. The prosperity that smiled 
upon the thrift and industry of her people did not make 
them blind to the law of life that united them to sister colo- 
nies. In the long struggle of the " French wars," they 
realized the vital interests which were at stake. They felt 
that the supremacy of the English race in North America 
must be secured at all hazards. Their freedom, with the 
civil and religious privileges they enjoyed, was the birth- 



CONNECTICUT IN THE LIFE OF THE NATION. 328 

right of English blood aud English history. To preserve 
this heritage, no sacrifice was too great. It was for this they 
fought, and not for the gloi'v of England or the enlarge- 
ment of her bounds. 

The victory of Wolfe on the Heights of Abraham prepared 
the way for the birth of a new nation. A stupid king, by 
his narrow-minded and coercive policy, not only aroused the 
indignation of the colonies, but opened the eyes of many to 
the possibilities of an independent national life. The feeling 











of attachment for the mother country that had been cher- 
ished through many generations, was lost in the fervor of 
patriotic zeal that burst from the hearts of the people. Their 
allegiance to the English crown was a sentiment ; their love 
of free institutions strong as life. 

The part borne by Connecticut in the war of the Revolu- 
tion will ever be remembered as a bright chapter in the his- 
tory of the great Republic that was then started on its career. 
When peace was declared, and the independent States with 
their conflicting interests were called upon to face the i)rob- 
lem of formino- a Union that should make a nation, the 



324 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 

statesmen of Connecticut acted a foremost part. "Her dele- 
gation to the convention," says Bancroft, "was thrice 
remarkable : they had precedence in age, in experience from 
1776 to 1786 on committees to frame or amend a constitu- 
tion for the countrjs and in illustrating the force of religion 
in human life." 

It is safe to say that no two men in the convention that 
framed the Constitution of the United States, exerted a 
greater influence than Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth. 
At a critical juncture, when the debate had fallen into an 
almost hopeless difference of opinion, these men took the 
lead, and suggested compromises that were finally adopted, 
and have proved essential to the very life of the Constitution 
in its practical working. 

In the century that has past since the adoption of the Con- 
stitution, Connecticut, through her educational institutions 
and industrial activities, has exerted a marked influence upon 
the life of the nation. From the ranks of her citizens have 
arisen men who have been recognized as leaders of opinion and 
conscience in the great moral conflicts that have agitated the 
minds of the people. When, in the progress of events, the 
long and bitter struggle of the slave-power for national supre- 
macy culminated in rebellion, there was no State in which 
the issues of the conflict were more clearly recognized than 
in Connecticut. The feeling that fused the will of men of all 
parties in a common purpose did not spring from hate or 
excited passion. They loved their State, and were as jeal- 
ous of their local rights as the citizens of South Carolina ; 
but they believed that the life of the State was dependent on 
the life of the nation. It was this conviction that prompted 
the sacrifice of life and treasure in the conflict that destroyed 
slavery, and proved the strength of the underlying princi- 
ples upon which rests the superstructure of our free institu- 
tions. 

There remains the mention of one other way, of peculiar 



CONNECTICUT IN THE LIFE OF THE NATION. 325 

interest, in which the life of Connecticut has entered into 
the life of the nation. Within five years after the first set- 
tlement of the valley of the Connecticut, the tide of emigra- 
tion from the mother country to New England almost 
entirely ceased. Very few came to enlarge the number of 
the colonists. But they were a hardy race, and the popula- 
tion for more than a century doubled once in twenty years. 
From this natural increase, new towns were settled, until, at 
the period of the Revolution, most of the land within the 
bounds of the State had been taken up. 

According to the charter of King Charles, the limits of 
the colony extended westward from Narragausett Bay to the 
Pacific Ocean. It was under this authority that Connecticut 
pioneers laid claim to the beautiful valley of Wyoming, and 
commenced a settlement there as early as 1763. Before 
peace was formally declared, at the close of the Revolution, 
the State, following the example of other commonwealths, 
gave up her charter-claim to all land west of New York, with 
the exception of six million acres in what is now the north- 
western part of Ohio. It was not long before the stream of 
emigration began to flow^ into this new country. The number 
that left the State, and found homes in this "Western re- 
serve," was so great that it was known as " New Connecti- 
cut." The ancestral ties that still connect this portion of 
the great Commonwealth of Ohio with the " Land of vSteady 
Habits," are strong and vigorous in mutual respect and 
affection. There are those still living who recall the inci- 
dents connected with the emigration of parties, usually 
neighbors and friends, who had decided to settle in what was 
then known as the '* Far West." Nothing illustrates more 
strikingly the change that has been wrought in modes of 
conveyance than the picture of the heavy covered wagons 
of these early emigrants moving slowly along the rough 
roads, and consuming days and weeks in reaching a destina- 
tion that is now arrived at within a few hours. The welfare 



326 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 

of those who thus went forth from the land of their fathers 
was tenderly remembered in the public prayers of the village 
minister, and the farewells of separating friends were 
spoken as if the}' were the last. 

Connecticut takes a just pride, not only in the record of 
the families who did so much in the settlement of Ohio and 
Western New York, but also in the part her sons have acted 
in the history and development of the States and Territories 
of the West. The influence she has in this way exerted upon 
the life of the nation has been incalculable. 

A brief reference to the ancestr}' of the men, who, in the 
last quarter of a century, have been nominated and elected 
to fill the highest office in the gift of the people of the United 
States, well illustrates this influence. In the little company 
that settled the town of AYindsor in 1635, Matthew Grant 
was an active and prominent citizen. One of his descend- 
ants, Noah Grant, then living in Coventry, joined the expe- 
dition against Crown Point in 1755, and was killed in the 
same 3ear. The Colonial Records preserve the memorial of 
his distressed widow, who asked the relief of the Assembly in 
settling the insolvent estate of her husband, that she might 
secure the small amount that was due him for wages while in 
the service. This soldier, buried in an unknown grave, left 
two sons. One of them, named for his father, served with 
distinction as a captain in the war of the Revolution. He 
was the grandfather of Ulysses S. Grant, the victorious 
leader of the Union armies, and for eight years President of 
the United States. 

In the Presidential election of 18G4, the Democrats uomi- 
nat?ed General George B. McClellan, whose grandfather was 
a prominent citizen and beloved physician in the town of 
Woodstock. In the story of the Revolution, on page 209, 
an incident is told of Captain Moses Seymour of Litch- 
tield. It was his grandson, Ex-Governor Horatio Seymour 
of New York, who was nominated as the candidate of 



I 



the Democratic part}' in the PresideDtial campaign of 
1868. 

In 1 682 George Hayes settled at Windsor. His son 
Daniel was captured by the Indians about 1712, and taken to 
Canada, whence he was ransomed by the General Assembly, 
which appropriated " seven pounds to be paid out of the 
public treasury " for this purpose. He afterwards made his 
home in Simsbury. His son Ezekiel removed to New Haven, 
where the first Rutherford Hayes, grandfather of the future 
President, was born. In the election of 1876, that was finally 
decided by an electoral commission, another ex-governor of 
New York, Samuel J. Tilden, was the nominee of the Demo- 
crats. His ancestor, Daniel Tilden, a native and resident of 
Lebanon, raised a compan}^ of volunteers on receiving news 
of the battle of Lexington. At the battle of Trenton he 
commanded the company in which James Monroe served as 
lieutenant. Years afterwards, when President Monroe vis- 
ited Connecticut, he was a guest in the home of his old 
commander. In 1790 John Tilden, the grandfather of Gov- 
ernor Tilden, removed to New -York State, and settled in the 
town which was named New Lebanon in honor of his olcl 
('onnecticut home. We close this record with the name of 
Grover Cleveland, twice President of the LTnited States, 
whose grandfather, William Cleveland, was a respected citi- 
zen of Norwich. 

Connecticut has reason to be proud of the character and 
Bervices of the distinguished men and women who have been 
born upon her soil, and also of those whose ancestry identify 
thorn with her history. Thi^ heritage of influence is pleasant 
to dwell upon, because it is a beautiful tribute to the family 
and home life of earlier days. That life was based upon 
Christian instruction and faith. The discipline of toil, with 
its variety of tasks, developed vigor of body and mind ; and 
the conditions of society gave room for the exercise and 
growth of personal character and influence. 



328 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



Those who have helped in making the history of Connec- 
ticut worthy of remembrance, learned the lesson of obedi- 
ence and faithfulness in jouth, and in maturer years walked 
in the way of God's commandments. 



* Hartford has been the sole capital 
since 1875. The erection of the present 
Capitol commenced in 1872, and it was 
completed in 1878, at a cost, including 
the land, of $3,100,000. Of this amount 
the city of Hartford contributed $1,100,- 
000. and the State $2,000,000. It is built 
of marble, and for beauty of design, and 
harmony ot proportions, is universally 
conceded to be one of the finest public 
buildings in the country. The Honor- 
able A. E. Burr, who was the efficient 
chairman of the committee who had In 
charge the erection of the Capitol, has 
given the following history of the State 
Houses that preceded it : — 

" The first General Court was held In 
Hartford, in April, 1636. The meeting- 
house of the First Congregational Society 
had a court chamber, where the General 
Court was held In 1720 the first State 
House was finished. It was a wooden 
etrucLure, 74 by 30 feet m size, standing 
on Court House Square. It had front 
and side entrances, and was occupied till 
1796. That building was partly burned 
during the celebration of peace in 1783. 
Its cost was £750, the town of Hartford 
paying £250. 

" The next State House in Hartford, 
and the third built by the State, was the 



structure now known as the City Hall on 
State-House Square, the foundations of 
which were laid in 1792, the building 
being occupied by the State in May, 1796. 
Its cost was $52,480, of which the town 
of Hartford paid $3,500, and the county 
of Hartford $1,500. Our present State 
constitution was adopted in that building 
in 1818. General Lafayette, and Presi- 
dents Monroe, Jackson, and Grant, in 
their visits to Hartford, were received 
within Its walls. 

" The second State House was built 
in New Haven, on the green, fronting 
Temple Street, in the year 1763. It was 
of brick, in appearance like a large-sized 
three story dwelling-house. The first 
floor was for bails and a dining-hall on 
great occasions. The Senate and House 
met on the second floor. It was removed 
in 1830. 

" The fourth State House was built 
on the New-Haven Green. It was fin 
ished in the year 1830, and was of brick 
and stucco, of the Ionic, or Greek, order. 
Ithiel Towne was the architect. It cost 
the State $41,500. When the single capi- 
tal was adopted, the State presented this 
building to the city of New Haven. The 
*ast session of the General Assembly 
neid in it wa« iu l&H.** 



PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF CONNECTICUT. 329 



CHAPTER LIII. 

BOUNDARY-LINES AND PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF 
CONNECTICUT. 

A GLANCE at the map of Connecticut shows irregulari- 
ties in the boundary-lines of the south-western part of 
the State, and a curious oblong notch, about midway on the 
northern line, that are reminders of some of the boundary- 
disputes that caused so much trouble in colonial times. The 
agreement regarding the western boundar}^, after New York 
came into the possession of the English in 1664, held until 
Feb. 23, 1685, when a new one was ratified and signed at 
Milford by the governors of the two colonies, Thomas Don- 
gan and Robert Treat. The line th^n accepted has at 
different times been rectified and straightened, but other- 
wise has remained unchanged. 

The old claim of New York was recognized, that Connec- 
ticut was not to come nearer the Hudson than twenty miles. 
This gave the town of Rye to New York. The Rye people 
were so displeased at this, that they refused to abide by the 
decision, until the line was confirmed by the king in 1700. 
A survey, made in 1725 and 1731, was again carefully rec- 
tified by New York in 1860. The boundary thus established 
was accepted by both States in 1878 and 1879, and confirmed 
by Congress in 1880-81. 

When Connecticut was first settled, it was known that 
the south line of Massachusetts, according to her charter, 
ran west to the Pacific Ocean, '* from a point three miles 
south of the most southerly branch of Charles River." 



330 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 

Where this line would cross the Connecticut River was un- 
known. AVhen Mr. Pynchon settled Springfield (Agawam), 
he at first supposed that the land there was within the juris- 
diction of Connecticut. In 1642 Massachusetts employed 
two surveyors, Woodward and Saffery, to run a line between 
the two colonies. Having fixed upon the point of departure 
on Charles River, they took passage in a sailing-vessel which 
brought them up the Connecticut. They decided that the 
line, according to their measurements of latitude, ran a short 
distance above Windsor. The Connecticut authorities were 
unwilling to accept the wild guess of the ignorant surveyors, 
whom they ironically called, " the mathematicians." The 
settlers of Suffield and Enfield, being under the jurisdiction 
of Massachusetts, w^ere in constant trouble with Windsor 
and Simsbury over their ill-defined bounds. Connecticut 
made surveys of the line in 1695 and 1702, which proved 
beyond a doubt to her people that Massachusetts had en- 
croached several miles upon her territory. Both colonies 
appealed to the crown, but finally agreed upon a compro- 
mise in 1714 that placed the boundar}' about as it now runs. 
Enfield, Sutfield, and Woodstock were still supposed to be 
north of the line, and remained under the authority of Mas- 
sachusetts. Careful surveys showed that these towns were 
really south of the line, and in 1749 Connecticut granted 
their request to be received under her care. Massachusetts 
did not abandon her claim to these towns until 1804. In 
1822 and 1826 the line was run as it is at present. 

The history of the singular indentation, where the line 
bounds Granby and Suffield, is given by Barber as follows: 
'• It appears that the bounds of Springfield were not defined 
with much accuracy in this section : the bounds at the north- 
west point of the indentation, however, appear to have been 
clearly defined. The western bounds of Springfield, in which 
part of Suffield was included, were supposed, but errone- 
ously, to extend to this point. A Mr. Moore, living on the 



PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF CONNECTICUT. 331 

imet in question, was knowing to the facts in the case. 
Having received a warning to a militia-training, he refused 
to appear, denying that he was within the jurisdiction of 
Connecticut." The case was carried to the General Assem- 
bly, who examined the facts, and, evidently not thinking the 
land worth disputing over, left it to the control of Massa- 
chusetts. 

During the colonial period, Connecticut and Rhode Island 
were in a chronic condition of dispute over the eastern 
boundary. Reference has been made elsewhere to these 
discussions. It was often the case, as far as the argument 
of the opposing parties were concerned, that the description 
given at one time by Rufus Choate was true, that "The 
^commissioners might as well have decided that the line 
between the States was bounded on the north by a bramble- 
bush, on the south b}^ a bluejay, on the west by a hive of 
bees in swarming-time, and on the east by five hundred foxes 
with firebrands tied to their tails." Happily, the year 1887 
has seen a formal settlement of all questions ; and the good 
peoi)le of Rhode Island and Connecticut can afford to smile 
over discussions that once caused so much hard feeling. 

The area of the State is 4,750 square miles. The surface 
is broken and diversified by the ranges of hills that cross it 
from north to south. The soil of the well- watered intervales 
that lie between these hills is rich and productive. The 
upper valley of the Connecticut is especially fertile, and 
adapted to agriculture. In the hill}' regions, the soil is 
broken by rocks, and filled with stones, that make it difficult 
to cultivate ; but it is frequently the case, as in the north- 
western part of the State, that the best dairy-farms are on 
the elevated plateaus. It is in this section that the highest 
land is found, several points having an altitude of more 
than two thousand feet. 

The most westerly range of hills, extending along the 
Housatonic River, is a continuation of the Green Mountains. 



332 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 

Geologically, the rocks iu Connecticut, outside of the sand- 
stone basin, ^ are metamorphic, and generally highly crys- 
talline. Some of them are probably Archaean, but to what 
extent no one knows. Much of the western part of the 
State, Dana has shown to be Lower Silurian. Ridges of 
trap are numerous through the centre of the State. As a 
rule, these trap ridges have a steep western face, and a gentle 
eastern slope. This is due to the trap being generally not 
in dikes, but in sheets intercalated between the strata of the 
eastwardly dipping sandstones. 

Granite of superior quality is quarried in Windham, New 
Haven, New London, and Litchfield Counties ; and the brown 
sandstone from the famous Portland quarries is shipped in 
large quantities to every part of the country. The mica 
schist slabs, taken from the quarries at Haddam and Bolton, 
are in demand for curb-stones and other purposes ; and there 
are valuable quarries of marble in Litchfield County. 

In early colonial times, there is evidence that many of the 
settlers hoped to discover rich mineral deposits. The public 
records for the year 1651 preserve a letter from John Win- 
throp, that was presented to the Court, and met witii so 
favorable a reception, that it was ordered that if he should 
discover '• any mines of lead, copper, tin, or other minerals," 
he should '' forever enjoy the said mines, with the lands, 
wood, timber, and waters within two or three miles of the 
said mine," provided that it was not within the bounds of 
a town already set off, or where the Court might judge it 
best " to make a plantation." 

Iron- works were started near New Haven as early as 1665. 
Winthrop was interested in the setting up of the bloomary 
and forge at the outlet of Saltonstall Lake. The ore was 
brought from North Haven ; and the owners were given the 
privilege of cuttnig, on the common land,^ all the wood they 
needed for making charcoal. The}^ were further encouraged 
by the Court held in Hartford, May 13, 1G69, which ex- 



PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF CONNECTICUT. 333 

empted them from "paying country rates for seven years 
next ensuing." Even this aid did not save the enterprise 
from failure. We find nothing further about iron in the 
records until May, 1722, when the Court encouraged Eben- 
ezer Fitch and others to erect a mill not far from Hartford, 
to slit and draw out iron rods for nails and other purposes. 
They enacted that any other parties who might attempt to 
set up a rival mill within a period of fifteen years, would 
be liable to pay a penalty of ten pounds per month to Mr. 
Fitch and his company. About 1731 attention was called 
to the value of the iron ore to be found in the north-western 
part of the colony. The first forge was erected by Thomas 
Lamb, at what is now known as Lime Rock, as early as 
1734. This was the beginning of the mining of the famous 
Salisbury iron.* The furnaces here and elsewhere furnished 
the material for a household industry that occupied the 
spare hours of the farmers and their sons in making light 
articles for domestic use, and nails which were manufactured 
in quantities sufficient to be exported. 

About 1705 copper was discovered in Simsbury, and not 
long after in Wallingford. The mines opened at Simsbury 
(now in East Granby) were worked by different proprietors 
with little success.^ In 1760 an English company was 
formed, that undertook to mine the ore, and send it to 
England. The two vessels that the}' first loaded with ore 
were both lost : this and other disasters discouraged the 
compan3% and they abandoned tlie undertaking.^ In more 
recent years, a copper-mine in Bristol was worked at a large 
expenditure of capital ; but, like the other ventures, it proved 
unprofitable.^ 

Agriculture has taken out of the soil of Connecticut the 
best returns in wealth. For over one hundred and fifty 
years, from the settlement of the State, nearly every one 
was engaged in farming. The lack of coin as a medium of 

* See page 294. 



334 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



exchange, made it necessary to pay in kind ; and this custom 
gave a peculiar and tangible value to every product of the 
soil. The laud-holding farmers, whose homes clustered in 
the village-streets, represented, as a body, the strongest and 
most influential class of citizens. The development of indus- 
trial pursuits has wrought great changes, but agriculture still 
holds a strong position. Not far from 45,000 persons occupy 
and till over 30,000 farms, that represent an investment of 
about $125,000,000. There is reason for congratulation, that 
there never has been a time when the interests of agriculture 
in Connecticut were receiving more intelligent direction than 
at the present. 



1 The sandstone basin extends 
along the Connecticut River as far south 
as Middletown, and thence south-west- 
ward to New Haven. 

- The lands belonging to the towns 
were usually distributed among the first 
settlers by mutual agreement or by lot. 
Home-lots in the village, and outlying 
plots of arable and meadow lands, were 
l)roi)<)rtioned in size to the amount con- 
tributed by the "planters" to the com- 
mon stock. No sales could be made to 
outside parties without the consent of 
the General Court, and the land that was 
not taken up by individual proprietors 
belonged to the town. The privilege of 
using these " common lands " for pastur- 
ing, or other purposes, was decided for 
a time by the town-meetings. As they 
became moie valuable, the descendants 
of the original proprietors laid claim to 
their management. Out of this asser- 
tion of rights, there arose very bitter dis- 
putes and law-suits, that created political 
differences that aroused great party- 
feeling. 

3 The so-called " Granby coppers " 
were coined in 1737-38, from metal taken 



from this mine. The copper was so pure 
that these coins were sought after to 
make jewellers' alloy, and for this reason 
they are very scarce. The Simsbury 
mine furnished material for the first 
United-States coinage. 

* After the mining ceased, in 1773, 
the colony used the buildings at the 
mouth of the mine, and some of the 
excavations beneath, for a State prison. 
The cells were in the galleries not over 
sixty feet beneath the surface. Notwith- 
standing the horrible description given 
by Peters, it is asserted, on good author 
ity, that the health of the prisoners was 
not seriously injured by sleeping in these 
underground chambers. Quite a number 
of Toiy offenders were incarcerated here 
in Revolutionary times, and did not find 
it a delightful place of residence. New 
gate prison was established as a perma- 
nent State prison in 1790, and was used 
for this purpose until 1827. 

" Limestone, lead, silver, barytes, 
hydraulic lime, feldspar, and other min- 
erals, are found in different parts of the 
State. 



Part II 



Connecticut in Recent Years 

1872—1922 



S. S. SCRANTON COMPANY 
Hartford, Conn. 



Copyright, 1922 
E. B. Sanford 



CHAPTER I. 

RELIGIOUS LIFE AND CHURCH GROWTH. 

WE have seen in previous chapters that the founders 
of Connecticut, and the leaders of civic affairs in 
colonial times, were Christian men of deep religious con- 
victions. The motto thej adopted, on the State seal, 
expressed their confidence that the Divine power that 
had aided them in planting a commonwealth in the new 
world, would continue to sustain it. This faith was the 
great central fact in the life of the pioneer homes of the 
seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. 

The story of Connecticut has its beginnings in the 
history of the English people before and after the Revolu- 
tion of 1660. This ancient commonwealth shares in the 
fruitage of that wonderful upheaval in thought and life 
that resulted in the leadership and achievements of Puri- 
tanism. ]^ot the Puritanism of caricature and false de- 
nunciation, but the moral, intellectual, and religious 
awakening of a virile people from whose loins sprang 
the genius of Milton and ShakesjDeare, the political states- 
manship of Hampden and Cromwell, and the religious 
guidance of John Robinson and the great leaders of the 
Reformation Era. Lord Macaulay was by no means a 
partisan lover of Puritan strictness and austerity, 
but the great historian was constrained to make the asser- 

337 



338 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



tion that the men who bore this name, were " the most 
remarkable body of men, perhaps, the world has ever pro- 
duced." 

When Charles I dissolved the Parliament that in 1630 
had failed to secure the constitutional rights for which 
Hampden, Pym and John Milton had contended, ' the 
dream of a land in the West, w^here religion and liberty 
could find a safe and lasting home,' became the hope 
and purpose of the choicest spirits that had battled and 
suffered in the contest that, later on, found in Oliver 
Cromwell its heroic and successful leader. Under the 
Charter that Charles granted for the establishment of 

the colony of Massachusetts, 
there began in 1630 that 
/ great emigration of Puritan 

f ^k life that w^as to have a fore- 

9^^^ 1# niost part in laying the foun- 

JklX Ih! dations of ]^ew England, and 

later on, giving unquestioned 
leadership in the struggle for 
independence that opened the 
way to the union of the 
colonies in the United States. 
" These emigrants," says the 
historian, John Richard 
Green, " unlike the earlier 
colonists of the South, were not ^ broken men,' adventurers, 
bankrupts, criminals; or simply poor men and artisans; 
like the Pilgrim Fathers of the Mayflower. They were in. 
great part men of the professional and middle classes; 
some of them men of large landed estate, some zealous 
clergymen like Cotton, Hooker, and Roger Williams, 
some shrewd London lawyers, or young scholars from 




Leonard Bacon 



INFLUENCE OF CLERGY IN COLONL\L J3AV8. 339 

Oxford. The bulk were God-fearing farmers from Lin- 
colnshire and the eastern counties. They desired in fact 
' only the best ' as sharers in their enterprise ; men driven 
forth from their fatherland not by earthly want, or by 
the greed of gold, or by the lust of adventure, but by 
the fear of God, and the zeal for a godly worship. But 
strong as was their zeal, it was not without a wrench 
that they tore themselves from their English homes. 
' Farewell, dear England ! ' was the cry that burst from 
this first little company of emigrants as its shores faded 
from their sight. ' Our hearts,' wrote the elder Win- 
tlirop's followers to the brethren whom they had left 
behind, ' shall be fountains of tears for your everlasting 
w^elfare, when we shall be in our poor cottages in the 
wilderness.' " 

The earlier chapters of this history tell the story of 
the work and character of the founders of Connecticut. 
In this list of University graduates, successful tradesmen, 
astute lawyers and trained farmers, Thomas Hooker, the 
pastor of the First Church of Christ in Hartford, stands 
first. The historians of the United States give him the 
high place of honor as the earliest seer and prophet 
of the democratic principles that are the corner stones of 
our great Republic, and the States that in their united 
life sustain it. In the progress and development of Con- 
necticut in colonial days, the clergy of the " standing 
order," pastors of the community churches that were 
legally supported by the towns in w^iich they were 
organized, were the most influential leaders not only in 
religious, but civic and educational affairs. Following 
the Revolution of 1776 and the " critical period " in 
American history, this influence was more and more 
shared by other professions; while the sturdy tillers of 



340 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 

the soil, whose brains and activities had made the land 
of " steady habits " bud and blossom as the rose, held the 
balance of power and influence. The Puritan heritage 
of Connecticut is one of which all its citizens of every 
nationality may well be proud. A study of the volumes 
that give the genealogical record of these descendants of 
the Puritan founders and ^' planters " of our ancient 
commonwealth, is a wonderful revelation of the influence 
which the sons and daughters of these pioneer mothers and 
fathers have exerted in the upbuilding of the State, the 
nation, and the world. 

Following the Revolution, in the later years of the 
eighteenth century, religious conditions in Connecticut 
were at a very low ebb. A student in Yale college at this 
period, aflirms that one class were nearly all infidel in 
opinion, and called each other Voltaire, Rousseau, and 
other free thinkers. It was a sad aftermath of the strenu- 
ous and distressing years in which the States were finding 
the way of Union. The dawn of the nineteenth century 
witnessed a turn in the tide. Under the presidency of 
the first Timothy Dwight, Yale College again became a 
fountain of spiritual life. Prom its halls went forth men 
who were to be leaders of American Christianity. The 
adoption of the present Constitution in 1818 cut the 
Congregational churches of Connecticut loose from the 
State both in control and support, land placed the 
churches, of all denominations, on an equal footing. In 
these years of quickened religious interest and philan- 
thropic activities, Connecticut bore full share and honor. 
In the home of Dr. Porter, pastor of the Congregational 
church in Farmington, The American Board of Com- 
missioners for Foreign Missions that now girdles the globe 
with its activities was organized in 1818. Later on the 



CLERICAL LEADERS. 34X 

American Missionary Association was founded under 
Connecticut leadership. Men of national reputation were 
pastors of its churches. Leonard Bacon in N'ew Haven, 
Lyman Beecher in Litchfield, Stephen Olin in Middle- 
town, John Williams, the beloved and honored Bishop 
of the Protestant Episcopal Church, were men of out- 
standing influence far beyond the bounds of the State in 
which they lived. 

In the years before and following the war for the 
Union, Connecticut churches were served by a group of 
men who exemplified the highest ideals and traditions 
of pulpit eloquence and intellectual power, known in the 
history of The Commonwealth. The work of Henry 
Ward Beecher was outside the State of his birth and boy- 
hood; but Horace Bushnell,^ the Litchfield farmer's son, 
who won world wide recognition, spent his entire life in 
the State he so dearly loved. ISlot only was he a great 
theologian and preacher but an earnest patriot and public- 
spirited citizen. The prosperity and adornment of the 
city, that was the scene of his labors from early man- 
hood, was a source of constant solicitude. He was a 
pioneer discoverer of the possible use that might be made 
of that section of Hartford, now crowned by The Capitol 
of the State. Bushnell Park is rightly named. On the 
walls of the church he served so faithfully, a mural 
Tablet having a marble relievo of his head bore this in- 
scription : In memory of his Great Genius, His Great 
Character and His Great Services to Mankind. 

During the later years of Dr. Bushnell's pastorate 
he welcomed to Hartford a group of younger ministers 
who in many ways caught his spirit and became recog- 



'See page 298. 



342 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



nized leaders in the religious and civic life of the State 
and cit^^ l^athaniel Burton, a Connecticut boy, born 
in a Methodist preacher's home, was a man of great in- 
tellectual power, a word painter of singular beauty 
and genius; Joseph Twichell, born in Southington, 
and graduating at Yale, of which institution, for many 
years, he held a unique place as its most widely beloved 
alumnus, came to his Hartford pastorate from an Army 
chaplaincy where he had won high regard for the rare 
qualities of character, heart and brain, that marked 
his pastoral labors in the years in which he was an 
honored leader both in Hartford and throughout the 
State. !N'one knew Joseph Twichell but to love him. 
The impress of his life and inspiring thought still con- 
tinues in a multitude of Con- 
necticut homes and hearts. 
Edwin Pond Parker was 
widely known beyond the 
Itounds of his parish as a 
writer and the composer of 
choice and beautiful hymns 
that have found a high place 
in the ministry of spiritual 
song. Both Dr. Parker and 
Dr. Twichell were for many 
years influential members of 
JOSEPH HOPKINS TWICHELL ^lic corporatiou of Yale Uni- 
versity. 




THEODORE T. :\irX(iKPv: JOSEPH AXDKRSON. 343 



Theodore Thornton Munger, pastor of the United Con- 
gregational church in New Haven from 1886 until near 

the close of his life, won wide 
reputation as a writer and 
leader of conservative liberal 
religious thought and inter- 
^ ' ^/^^ pretation. During the years 

m^ Jr-^^y ^^^ which Joseph Anderson was 

^^^^ ^ pastor of the First Church in 

^^K " ^^^^^^ Waterhury his position in the 
^^^H^Hpjlll^^^^^Hj community was one of com- 
s^^^H^hI^^^^^H manding influence. A scholar 
^^^^^I^H^^^H^^B of rare a fluent 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^\ writer, keenly alert in all his 
Joseph Anderson intellectual processes and keep- 

ing abreast with the results 
both of scientific and historical research, he was a model 
preacher, teacher and citizen. His research work in the 
History of Waterhury gives him a place among the men 
and women who have labored diligently in preserving the 
local history of our Connecticut towns and cities. 

Space forbids the mention of the scores of trained 
and successful ministers who in the last half century 
have guided the spiritual activities of the Commonwealth 
whose founders were largely the Oxford and Cambridge 
graduates who organized the first community Congrega- 
tional Churches, — men who had in the old world sac- 



344 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 




rificed place and preferment rather than prove false to 
their convictions. They were indeed the " sifted wheat/' of 

a generation that have in the 
passing centuries been followed 
by truth loving, spiritually 
minded, consecrated men as 
their successors. It is difficult 
for the present generation to 
understand the intense feeling 
that characterized the the- 
ological controversies in Con- 
necticut in the early and 
middle years of the nineteenth 
century. The Autobiography 
of Lyman Beecher, in its ac- 
count of his Litchfield pastor- 
ate, gives us an intimate, inside view of the discussions 
that divided the Congregational ministers of the State 
into hostile camps over doctrinal opinions regarding 
original sin and election, of which IvTathaniel "W. Taylor, 
of Yale Divinity School, was the eloquent exponent. 
" The 'New Haven Theology " found a doughty opposer 
in Bennet Tyler, a Yale classmate of Dr. Taylor. Out 
of this controversy came action that resulted in the 
establishment of the Theological Seminary at East Wind- 
sor, removed to Hartford in 1865. Dr. Tyler was the 
first in the line of distinguished scholars and theologians, 
that have presided over this institution that has developed 
under the presidency of Chester D. Hartranft and William 



Edwin Pond Parker 



YALE DIVINITY SCHOOL. 



345 




William Douglas Mackenzie 



D. Mackenzie into one of the leading schools for minis- 
terial and missionary training 
in the United States. 

The Berkeley Divinity 
School at Middletown owed 
its establishment largely to 
i^^ ^^ * ^^^ efforts of Bishop John 

Williams, whose eloquence as 
a pnlpit orator gained him 
national recognition. Samuel 
Hart, Dean of this School for 
many years, was deeply in- 
terested in the history of his 
native State and made helpful 
contributions to its archives. 
Yale Divinity School dates back in its beginnings to 
the founding of the great University of which it is a part. 

The names of Timothy 
Dwight, j^athaniel W. Taylor, 
Leonard Bacon,^ George P. 
Fisher, Samuel Harris and 
many other distinguished 
scholars and writers have 
brought honor and world wide 
influence to this ancient seat 
of theological and Biblical in- 
struction. The present Dean 
of the Divinity School is 
Charles R. Brown, a preacher 
and writer of national repute. 
The Church life of Con- 
necticut, in the last half century, has been a record of 
healthful growth and prosperity. Since the middle years 

^See pages 253, 389. 




John Wiluams 



346 HISTORY OF COXXECTICUT. 

of the nineteentli century, when the tide of emigration 
first set in from Ireland, the Roman Catholic Church 
has had a remarkable development, especially in the 
cities of this State. It is a source of congratulation that 
as the tide of life from Ireland, Italy and Poland has 
mingled with the native population, devoted and trained 
priests of the Roman Communion have been ready to 
care for their spiritual and moral welfare under the 
leadership of Bishops of the high quality of John J. 
I^ilan. 

We close this chapter with a brief reference to activi- 
ties in the interest of Christian unity and the federation 
of Protestant Church forces that are bright with promise. 
Religious toleration was an unknown word in the vocabu- 
lary of the colonial founders of Xew England. Thej 
had no use for a " Liberal theology." They set up 
orthodox standards and insisted that those who did not 
accept them were heretics and not worthy to be tolerated. 
When the impact of the great Wesleyan revival began to 
touch the life of Connecticut, through the fervent appeals 
of Jesse Lee and other itinerant preachers, Congrega- 
tional ministers from their pulpits denounced them as 
the " DeviFs recruiting sergeants." A Roman Catholic 
was looked at askance, and even as gentle spirited a 
minister as Thomas Robbins, in his diary under date of 
January 28, 1810, writes, " The Universalist fellow 
preached here last evening and attended meeting in the 
forenoon. I think he is despised." All this has changed. 
For the last half century and more, the relations between 
the pastors and people of the Protestant denominations 
have been fraternal and for the most part cordial. The 
small groups gathered in societies by the early saddle 
bag itinerants of the Methodist Episcopal Church have 



METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. 



!47 



grown, especially in the cities, into large and influential 
churches. Some of their pastors have become leaders 
of national reputation. Dr James M. Buckley, for many 
years editor of the Chmstian Advocate in ISTew York, was 

pastor for eight years in Stam- 
ford. Dr. Buckley was per- 
haps, in his day, the most in- 
fluential man in the M. E. 
Church. While pastor of the 
First M. E. Church in IN'ew 
Haven, William Y. Kelley 
was elected editor of the 
MetJiodist Review, a position 
which he held for nearly thirty 
years with marked ability. 
At the last General Conference 
of this great denomination, a 
former pastor of the church 
in Bristol, Dr. E. G. Richardson, was elected Bishop. 
The Baptist Churches of Connecticut have enjoyed the 
ministry of men of exceptional ability, some of whom have 
become widely known for their pulpit eloquence and 
5cholary acquirements. To-day the Protestant denomina- 
tions of the State are banded together in a Federation of 
Churches that manifests to the world their oneness in 
Christ, and their desire to work together and plan to- 
gether in matters of common interest. This linking of 
forces has come about within the last half century. Dur- 
ing the years in which Henry Clay Trumbull ^ was 




James Monroe Buckley 



'Born in Stonington June 8. 1830. Eminent as a Biblical scholar 
and editor. 



348 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



Secretary of the Connecticut Sunday School Union, his 
attention was called to the deplorable conditions exist- 
ing in many rural communities where sectarian rivalries 
and propaganda had established churches beyond the 
need of their population, unable, in some cases, when the 

population had decreased, to 
support a local ministry. 
Many churches were in a mor- 
ibund if not dying state. With 
his wonted zeal Mr. Trumbull 
brought about the calling of 
a Conference at the Centre 
Church in Hartford in 1867. 
A goodly number were present 
at a meeting presided over 
by Governor Buckingham. It 
was, however, attended almost 
exclusively by Congregation- 
alists. The pastors of other 
denominations were still shy of invitations looking to 
united action. 

In this meeting the writer of these lines made his first 
address in behalf of Christian unity and Church Federa- 
tion. How marked is the change that has come in recent 
years, when officially appointed representatives of the 
Baptist, Congregational, Methodist Episcopal, Presby- 
terian, Protestant Episcopal and Universalist Churches 
meet to consider their common responsibility in philan- 
thropic, social, and civic activities. The spirit of Eedera- 
tion is bringing together weakened denominational groups 
in some of the rural towns and developing strong com- 
munity churches. 




Henry Clay Trumbull 



FEDERATION OF CHURCHES. 



349 




William North Rice 



One of the forerunners in this movement was the late 

Professor Alfred T. Perry, of 
the Hartford Theological 
Seminary, who afterwards 
was called to the presidency 
of Marietta College in Ohio. 
He was the founder of 
the Hartford Federation of 
Churches, the first of many 
hundreds that have since been 
organized. In the action that 
brought about the organiza- 
tion of the Connecticut Fede- 
ration of Churches, Professor 
William JSTorth Eice of Wes- 
leyan University was the leader. During the half 
century of his labors as a teacher of geology, years in 

which he won national and 
international recognition as a 
scientist, he had become deep- 
ly interested in the cause of 
Christian unity, and the need 
of cooperation that would 
eliminate waste of resources 
and make the Protestant de- 
nominations more effective in 
their Church work. Under the 
presidency of Rockwell H. 
Potter, D. D., pastor of the 
First Church of Christ in 
Hartford, this State Federa- 
tion of Christian forces is illustrating the benefits and 
helpfulness of that spirit of unity and cooperation that 
is drawing the churches in every part of the United 




Rockwell H. Potter 



>0 



TTl STORY OF CONNECTICUT. 




ShePvROd Soule 



States into closer fraternal relations. In this work of 
unifying and making more effective the Christian forces 

of the State, Sherrod Soule, 
for many years the Secretary 
of the Connecticut Home 
Missionary Society, the oldest 
missionary society in the 
United States, has taken an 
active part. Mr. Soule has 
long been recognized not only 
as a lover of Connecticut 
history but its teacher through 
the lectures he has given in 
every part of the State. 

Azel W. Hazen having 

rounded out a fruitful and 

honored pastorate of nearly half a century as leader of 

the First Church of Christ in Middletown, still continues 

his work, as in many years 
past, as the efficient president 
of the Middlesex County 
Historical Society. In his 
history of the church, he so 
long served, Dr. Hazen has 
paid tribute to the memory 
and services of a rare group 
of men and women whose 
lives were spent in this beau- 
tiful Connecticut valley, to^vli 
II and city. 

Hymnology has long had a 
recognized place not only as 
an inspirer of spiritual emotion and thought but as an 




Azel Washburn Hazen 



CONNECTICUT HYMN WRITERS. 351 

expression of the essential unity of all the followers of 
Christ. In this blending of spiritual song, sons and 
daughters of Connecticut have had a leading part. The 
hynms that sprang out of the inspired genius of Dwight, 
Bacon, Pierpont, Hastings, Parker, S. Dryden Phelps, and 
Harriet Beecher Stowe have literally surrounded the 
world with their melody. 

Very recently Yale University conferred the high honor 
of Doctor of Divinity upon Arthur Goodenough, pastor 
for fifty years of the country church in Torringford. 
That parish was the birthplace of Samuel J. Mills.^ Dr. 
Goodenough was a worthy representative of many devoted 
and cultured men, who have occupied places of retired 
service in Connecticut in a spirit of faithfulness, that has 
crowned their lives with the love and respect of the hearts 
and homes that have enjoyed their ministry. 



^Samuel J. Mills, born at Torringford (1783) ♦ After graduating at 
Williams College, he entered Andover Seminary and with Adoniram 
Judson and others he joined in a plea for foreign mission work that 
led to the founding of the American Board (A. B. C. F. M.). His life 
was eminently useful. 



CHAPTER II. 



EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF 
CONNECTICUT. 

THE pioneer fathers of Connecticut, when they founded 
its towns, planted the school by the side of the 
church. The progress and development of the Public 
School system of the State and the origin of her colleges 
and great University is a story of fascinating interest.* 

With the increase of popula- 
tion, and the influx of an im- 
migration representing almost 
all of the nationalities of 
Europe, the problem of caring 
for the education of the chil- 
dren of these homes has been 
a perplexing one. Under the 
direction of Charles D. Hine 
J ^ ^^^^^ ^^^ work inaugurated by 
^^m3r ^^^^^^k Henry Barnard and Birdsey 
L^iiMHEfc' JWl^BBB G. ^N'orthrop developed, in 
Albert b. Meredith many directions, along lines 

inaugurated by educational 
leaders in every part of the country. 

Since Albert B. Meredith entered upon his work as 
Commissioner of Education in 1920, a new era of progress 
has opened. A graduate of Wesleyan University, and 
with a record of success as Commissioner of Schools in 




*See pp. 302-321. 



352 



CONNECTICUT HISTORY IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 353 

New Jersey, Mr. Meredith is proving his eminent qualifi- 
cations for the important place he now occupies. The 
Public School System of Connecticut is developing along 
lines that may be summarized as follows: First of all a 
careful selection of teachers and insistence upon their pro- 
fessional training. The standard of admission to N'ormal 
Schools as now planned requires four years of high- 
school work. Opportunity is afforded for the improve- 
ment of teachers through Summer School Courses, Teach- 
ers' Institutes, Reading Courses, and careful supervision 
in methods of instruction. The physical education of the 
children is looked after in a systematic ^vay, and pro- 
vision is being made for pupils Avho are handicapped 
mentally or physically. 

The privilege of a high-school education is now the 
right of every Connecticut boy and girl. The cost of 
this training is a town expense, and if given in a school 
outside the limits of the home residence, includes trans- 
portation and tuition. During the years of Mr. Hine's 
administration the plan of the Rural Supervision of 
Schools was developed. This involves careful profes- 
sional supervision and has resulted in better courses of 
study and great improvement in the work of the teachers. 
In recent years progress has been made in the develop- 
ment of trade education. This expense is borne by the 
State. 

Under the guidance of the State Board of Education 
the future is bright with promise, and good results are 
already following from these wisely devised plans. We 
venture to inquire, Has not the time come to giA^e a larger 
place in the curriculum of our schools to the study of 
the history of Connecticut? A good beginning has been 
made in the requirement that calls for the examination of 



354 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 

supervisors of schools in this history. Ought not teachers 
to have a fair knowledge of the founding and history of 
the State designated by Dr. Bushnell as " the most 
beautiful " in the world's record ? How many teachers 
in our schools know the source of our American Consti- 
tutional life? How many could pass even a cursory 
examination on the significance of the part acted by 
Connecticut in the French and Indian wars? Could 
many of them give the names of the Connecticut 
men upon whom Washington leaned and who were 
recognized leaders in the ^' critical period " that 
preceded the Union of the States? How many 
could name, without consulting histories, the inventors 
of the cotton gin, the first submarine, and the engine 
that first utilized steam in running a steamboat; all of 
them Connecticut men? Possibly they could name the 
town where the greatest pulpit orator, one of the greatest 
theologians of the nineteenth century, and the novelist 
whose books were translated into many languages and li.id 
a wider circulation than that of any other American writer, 
were born and spent their childhood. Could these teachers 
point on the map to the spot where the boy was born 
and reared whose " soul is still marching on," and whose 
name is world wide in its strange fame? How many 
know that the foundations of Yale University were laid by 
a little group of Congregational ministers and that a little 
company of Methodist preachers were the founders of 
Wesleyan University, while a Protestant Episcopal clergy- 
man did a like service in the founding of Trinity College? 
How many high-school teachers could give the name 
of the general buried near his birthplace, in a secluded 
valley among the Litchfield County hills, who was offered 
the command-in-chief of the armv of the Union in the dark- 



MORAL TEACHING IX SCHOOLS. 355 

est hour of the Civil War, but declined because he 
felt that he was better fitted to fill the position of 
a Corps Commander, the place he occupied with such 
distinguished honor up to the hour when the fatal 
bullet of a sharpshooter struck him do"v\Ti? 

We ask the question of experienced teachers : Is there 
any better or easier way to teach children the lessons 
of history, and es^^ecially United States and English 
liistory, than by a careful study of their home State ? The 
boy, girl, or adult who has a good knowledge of Con- 
necticut history will soon be interested in tracing that 
liistory in its relation to the nation and the world. If 
the study of our State history was undertaken in a 
systematic Avay in our schools, a generation would grow 
up, less ignorant of our Colonial and Revolutionary 
history than many to-day who wear tl^ insignia of mem- 
bership in various Chapters of Sons and Daughters of 
the Revolution and Sons and Dames of Colonial Wars. 
Knowledge is better than pride of aristocracy and birth. 
But it is for a higher reason we make this plea for the 
study of Connecticut history in our public schools. A 
leader of American thought and action, recognized far be- 
yond the limits of his own State, asks and replies to this 
question : " Why are the second and third generations 
from the low breed of Europe" (and some of our native 
population might be included), "living under our eco- 
nomic conditions and educational advantages, still pro- 
ducing a breed so little improved that the ballot is almost 
as dangerous as dynamite in their hands ? " 

" Somewhat," he says, " not entirely, it is our fault. 
We spend billions to educate these children of the immi- 
grant, but we neglect to teach them the important things 
that good citizens should know. We teach them the facts 



356 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



but too often neglect the truth. The truth which every 
American should know is, What is good conduct? What 
acts are social and what antisocial? Why is a dishonest 
official an enemy of society? Why is it wrong to con- 
sider a public office a ' private snap ? ' Why is a tip 
a misdemeanor and a bribe a felony? Why is the 
public service corporation a traitor w^hen it resorts 
to illegal technicalities to evade a contract? 

" These are simple things, not hard for a child to 
understand. They are as easy of comprehension as an 
arithmetic lesson of the fifth grade. They are much 
simpler than many things taught in the seventh and 

eighth grades and vastly more 
important than much that is 
taught the child in high-school. 
Education may not quicken 
the intelligence, perhaps, of a 
dull mind, but it will clarify 
certain conceptions of right 
and wrong and put the child 
upon a higher moral plane." 

We commend these words to 
the consideration of Connecti- 
cut parents and teachers, with 
the query. Is there any better 
way of inculcating lessons of 
character and high moral ideals than by the study of 
history made by men like Thomas Hooker, Jonathan 
Trumbull, Eoger Sherman, William A. Buckingham, 
Joseph Hawley, Simeon E. Baldwin, and the long line of 
noble men w^ho have filled chief places in the ministry, the 
law and the public offices of the State in whose record we 
find so many reasons for grateful thanksgiving? 




Courtesy G. P. Putnam's Sons 
Henry Barnard 



CHAPTER III. 



HIGHER INSTITUTIONS OF LEARNING. 
YALE UNIVERSITY. 

In a former Chapter^ a concise sketch has been given of 
the origin and progress up to 1886 of Yale University, 
Wesleyan University and Trinity College.^ Since that 
time the years have marked a striking advance in the 
resources and influence of these institutions. 

During the thirteen years 
of the presidency of Timothy 
Dwight, grandson of the Presi- 
dent after whom he was 
named, Yale more than 
doubled her resources. The 
School of Music w^as estab- 
lished in 1894. The Univer- 
sity came to its present great 
development under the effi- 
cient administration of Arthur 
Twining Hadley (1899-1921). 
The loosely related depart- 
ments were then co-ordinated 
into a working and united body. Special attention was 
given to graduate and professional education. In 1900 the 
Yale School of Forestry was founded through the generosity 
of the family of James W. Pinchot. The Yale Bicenten- 
nial, held in 1901, called the attention of the State and 
IsTation to the work and influence of the great College 
and University that has so long been the pride of 
Connecticut. 




Theodore Dwight Woolsey- 



^See pages 309-321. 



2See pages 313, 389. 

357 



358 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 




Arthur Twining Hadley 



Early in 1921 the Yale 
Corporation, aided by the 
counsel of Dr. Hadley and 
other members of the Faculty 
and Alumni, elected James 
Rowland Angell as its Presi- 
dent and he has entered upon 
his work under the most 
happy auspices. A graduate 
of Michigan University, of 
which his father was for half 
a century its honored Presi- 
dent, winning reputation as a 
teacher both in the University 
of Minnesota and of Chicago, he brings to his office rare 
qualifications of training and experience. 

The endowment of the Uni- 
versity has reached the great 
sum of over twenty-six mil- 
lions. Little did the group 
of Congregational ministers 
who, out of meager resources, 
gave a iew books to aid in 
founding Yale College, im- 
agine that from their humble 
seed sowing there would spring 
this wonderful harvest of ma- 
terial resources ! The great be- 
quest of John W. Sterling 
(Class of 1864) and generous 
gifts from John D. Rockefeller, John D. Sloane, the Hark- 
ness and Yanderbilt families of ISTew York City, and many 
others donors, have both aided the endowment and com- 




James Rowland Angell 



WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY. 



359 



pleted some of the most beautiful buildings ever erected 
in recent years for University purposes. Best of all, 
enlarged resources command professional services that 
place Yale in the forefront of the Universities, not only 
of the United States, but of the world. 

WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY. 

Wesleyan University will in another decade celebrate 
tUe Centennial of its founding. In its early years a large 
proportion of its graduates entered the ministry of the 
Methodist Episcopal Thurch. To-day, as in other colleges, 

other professions are largely 
represented. During the last 
half century Wesley an, founded 
under a charter entirely 
free from sectarian bias or 
control, has come to a recog- 
nized place of leadership and 
influence among the smaller 
colleges of 'New England. 
Williams, Amherst, BroA\ai 
and Wesleyan are linked to- 
gether, not only in athletic 
and literary contests, but in 
educational ideals and scholar- 
ship. Under the administration of Bradford P. Raymond 
(1888-1907) the resources of the college were very much 
increased; but it has been during the presidency of 
William Arnold Shanklin that the endo^\mient and prop- 
erty of less than three millions has increased to more 
than twice this amount. The working staff of the college 
numbers half a hundred, and the roll of students is kept 
within the limits of five hundred. Wesleyan has been 
especially fortunate in having on its teaching staff, during 




Cliampliu Studio 
William Arnold Shanklin 



360 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



the last fifty years, men like Wilbur O. Atwater, Caleb 
T. Winchester and William ]^orth Rice, who, both as 
instructors and writers, have left an abiding impress on 
their day and generation. The usefulness of the college, 
situated on one of the most beautiful sites of the Con- 
necticut River valley, was never greater and its outlook 
for the future more bright with hope. 

TRINITY COLLEGE. 

The stately group of buildings erected since 1878 for 
the use of Trinity College, after the sale of its original 
site on Capitol Hill, is on a bluff having a magnificent 
outlook and not far away from the spot where two of 

the few Connecticut victims 
of the witchcraft delusion 
were hung. The beautiful 
homes in this vicinity and the 
dignified Halls of the College 
make a setting in strange 
contrast to the scene of the 
bleak winter day when the 
tragedy of superstition oc- 
curred in 1662. In brief, the 
history of Trinity has been 
told in another Chapter^. The 
administration of George Wil- 
liamson Smith (1883-1903) 
was one of advancement. The gifts of Charles H. I^ortham 
and others largely increased the endowment and its 
building equipment. Under the presidency of Flavel S. 
Luther (1904-1919) Trinity gained in its student enroll- 
ment and scholarship requirements. With his retirement 
in 1919, Remsen B. Ogilby, a graduate of Harvard and 




Remsen B. Ogilby 



'See pages 319-321. 



CONNECTICUT AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. 



361 



the Cambridge Theological School was called to the presi- 
dency, under happy auspices. In celebrating its centen- 
nial (1922), Trinity can look back over historic years in 
which the hopes of its founders have been abundantly 

realized. 

CONNECTICUT 
AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. 

The Connecticut Agricultu- 
ral College, founded at Storrs 
in 1879, is filling a place of 
increasing importance. As the 
centre from Avhich information 
regarding farming in all its de- 
l)artments is disseminated, it is 
exerting a wholesome and help- 
ful influence. The picturesque 
tract of six hundred acres, on 
which the college buildings 
are situated, is becoming more 
I and more a model farm and experiment station. Its 
I summer Schools give opportunities for a large number to 

enjoy their benefits, and some 
of the graduates of the college 
are prominent farmers of the 
state. The present head of 
the College is Charles L. Beach, 
a graduate of the Univer- 
sity of Wisconsin and a former 
professor in the agricultural 
department of the University 
of Vermont. Storrs is already 
an institution of national 
repute. 




Charles L. Beach 




Benjamin T. Marshall 



362 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 

CONNECTICUT COLLEGE FOR WOMEN. 

Since the doors of tliis institution were opened in 1911 
it has proved its need for furnishing the highest type of 
college training to the young women of the State. Under 
the presidency of Benjamin T. Marshall, a graduate of 
Dartmouth and Columbia, it is becoming the pride of 
'New London and winning the favor of the State. The 
late Morton F. Plant gave one million dollars towards 
its endowment in 1911. 



Connecticut-born men have acted a remarkable part in 
the development of higher schools of learning in every 
section of the United States. Eleazar Wheelock^ was 
the founder of Dartmouth College, which entered upon its 
present period of expansion and national influence under 
the presidency of William J. Tucker, born in Griswold 
in 1839. Samuel Kirkland, born in ISTorwich in 1741, 
was the founder of Hamilton College. It was imder the 
presidency of Eliphalet N'ott (born in Ashford June 25, 
1773) that Union College came to its place of commanding 
influence. William Samuel Johnson (born in Stratford 
in 1696) was a leading founder of Columbia University. 
Abraham Baldwin (born in Guilford in 1754) secured 
the charter of the University of Georgia, gave forty 
thousand acres towards its endowment and was its first 
president. Laurens P. Hickok, distinguished for his 
writings on psychology and moral science and as president 
of Union College, was a native of Danbury. John J. 
Owen, remembered by several generations of students as 
the author of Greek college text books, and for many 
years connected with the faculty of the College of the 
City of New York, was born in Colebrook. Heman 
Humphrey, for twenty-three years (1823-45) president 

'Pee pa-o ?S3. 



COLLEGE PRESIDENTS. 36r, 

of Amherst College, was born in West Simsbury in 1779. 
Julius H. Seelye, professor for a long time of mental and 
moral pliilosopliy and president of Amherst for fifteen 
years, like his brother L. Clarke Seelye, the beloved and 
honored president from the opening of Smith College until 
1910, was born and nurtured in a Christian home in Bethel. 

Connecticut has given three presidents to Williams 
College : Ebenezer Fitch, born in N^orwich, and presi- 
dent from its founding for fifteen years; Edward S. 
Grifiin, a native of East Haddam (1821-26), and Franklin 
Carter, born in Waterbury (1881-96). Charles G. 
Finney, the world distinguished revivalist and president 
of Oberlin (1835-54), was born in Warren, Aug. 29, 1792. 
Israel A. Andrews, son of a pastor of the Congregational 
church in Cornwall, became president of Marietta College 
in Ohio, and was later followed by a Connecticut man 
whose memory and faithful ministerial service are still 
cherished in Hartford homes, Alfred T. Perry. The first 
president of Beloit College was Andrew Chapin; and 
Edward Beecher, the eldest son of Lyman Beecher, occupies 
the same place in the history of Illinois College. 

Jared Sparks the famous professor of history and 
president for four years of Harvard University, was born 
in Willington May 10, 1789. — In later years this remark- 
able list contains the name of Daniel C. Gilman (born 
in N'orwich July 6, 1831) whose work in connection with 
the organization and development of Johns Hopkins, and 
the previous presidency of the University of California, 
has given him a unique place among distinguished 
educators. The same is true of Cyrus I^orthrop, born 
in Ridgefield, September 30, 1834. As editor of the New 
Haven Palladium and Professor of English literature at 
Yale he won high honor, but his national reputation 



364 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



rests upon his work in the presidency of the University 
of Minnesota. 

Last, but not least, we mention the name of Mary 
E. Woolley, born in South :N'orwalk, July 13, 1863, and 
since 1900 president of Mt. Holyoke College, an institu- 
tion that under her leadership has gained rank among 
the best in the country. 

In the mid years of the nineteenth century the 
academies and private schools of Connecticut did a 
notable work in the education of the sons and daughters 
of the thrift and culture-loving homes of the State. 
The bare mention of the Staples Academy in Fairfield; 
the Bacon Academy in Colchester; and the Goshen 
Academy in Goshen, recalls a most important chapter 
in the educational life of Connecticut. The famous Brace 
and Pierce Schools for young ladies in Litchfield, and 
in later years, the more widely known school, founded by 
Miss Porter in Farmington, were institutions of a very 

high order. Similar schools 
have sprung up in all the 
larger cities; forerunners of 
Smith, Wellesley, Bryn Mawr 
and the recently founded Con- 
necticut College for Women 
at ^ew London. Many of the 
private schools for boys, 
largely devoted to the work 
of preparation for college, 
have gained a national repu- 
tation. Among the best known 
HORACE BUTTON taft arc thc Gunucry School at 

Washington, named after its 
eminent founder, Frederick W. Gunn, and the Taft 




L : 



TEXT BOOK WRITERS. 365 

School of Watertown, founded by the youngest of the 
family of Taft brothers whose fame has gone out to the 
ends of the earth through presidential, legal, editorial 
and educational leadership. The Hotchkiss and Taconic 
schools in Lakeville, the Bulkley School in Meriden, The 
Curtis school in Brookfield, the Mystic English and 
Classical School, the Westover School in Middlebury, the 
Gilbert School at Winsted, St. Margaret's in Waterbury, 
and Westminster School in Simsbury, with others on 
private foundations are doing a great work. The Loomis 
Institute at Windsor with its endowment of over a 
million dollars is already a power in the educational life 
of the State. In addition to the great work that the 
teachers of Connecticut schools have accomplished in 
their class rooms, mention should be made of the influence 
they have exerted in the preparation of text books 
that have been circulated by the millions from the days 
of I^oah Webster down to the present time. In this 
list we find the names of Emma Hart Willard, Catherine 
Beecher, and Wilbur Fisk Gordy, a graduate of Wesleyan 
University, whose historical text books at the present 
time are winning the highest commendation. 



CHAPTER IV. 



POLITICAL AND CIVIC LIFE. 

Citizenship under a democracy, affording full freedom, 
of thought and moral action, is the heritage of all re- 
sponsible adults having their homes in the bounds of the- 
State. Politics of the baser sort has often been a source, 
in Connecticut, as elsewhere, of evil influence. The stain 

and slime of disgraceful polit- 
ical trickery has frequently 
discolored records that, as a 
whole, have been of a high 
character. 

Going back to the days fol- 
lowing the Civil War, we note 
a decided change for the better 
in the conduct of political or- 
ganizations. Votes are no 
longer bought in the open. 
The will of the people is more 
directly exercised by the indi- 
vidual voter. The ballot in 
the hand of women of the State is a step towards higher 
ideals and a check on evil counsels in party management. 
It is fortunate that the two political groups, that con- 
trol in the local and State elections, are so evenly balanced 
in numbers that political leaders are forced to place in 
nomination for important offices, the best men in their 




Joseph R. Hawley 



366 



GOOD CITIZENSHIP. 



36: 




Frank B. Braxdegee 



respective parties. The result is, that in the last half 
century, Connecticut as a rule, has been represented 

by Senators, Governors, and 
members of Congress, who 
were men of the highest 
character; men who had won 
success in professional and 
business life and commanded 
the respect of the communi- 
ties in which they lived. Good 
Governors, with their appoint- 
ing power, have seen that the 
best qualified men in the State 
were named to fill vacancies 
in the Judiciary and other 
responsible positions. This 
has been true also of the working Commissions and 
Trusteeships of Institutions whose management is so 

vitally related to the welfare 
of the Commonwealth. 

While politicians, good, bad, 
and indifferent, have laid 
their plans and sometimes ac- 
complished their selfish de- 
signs, they have learned that 
Connecticut ballots quickly 
bring to naught any attempt 
to foist inferior men into 
places of large responsibil- 
ity. The same condition 
holds true as to selfish, 
partisan attempts to secure 
undue privileges of any kind. It is, however, a lamentable 




George P. McLean 



368 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 

fact that so little attention is given in the schools to 
the teaching of the fundamental principles of good 
citizenship. Here is an open door of opportunity for 
patriotic societies to spend less of their time and money 
on mere social functions and give more attention to 
securing and advancing efforts, through schools and higher 
institutions of learning, having for their aim the lifting up 
and inculcating the duties of a citizenship worthy of 
Colonial and Revolutionary fathers and mothers. 

Since the days when Joseph R. Hawley, crowned with 
laurels won in the war for the Union, was elected to fill the 
Governor's Chair, we recall a roll of men representing the 
choicest fruitage of Connecticut training and success. 
Christian men, in their profession, they have exemplified 
the worth of character and illustrated the truth that 
industry and well-trained brains, based on the rock bed of 
right moral conduct are still the open door through which 
men, often born under adverse circumstances, come to 
highest honor in the State and the N'ation. We do not 
remember one of these men of power and influence that has 
achieved his place, without unceasing toil and moral up- 
rightness in reputation. At Washington the State has been 
served in later years by men like Joseph R. Hawley and 
Orville H. Piatt, In his last administration, President 
Grover Cleveland called a Connecticut business man 
and financier, Daniel ^ash Morgan^, to fill the responsible 
place of Treasurer of the United States. 

When the first edition of this history was printed 
Phineas C. Lounsbury- was Governor. He was succeeded 

iMr. Morgan, born in Newtown August 18, 1844, is the most dis- 
tinguished descendant of Thomas Sanford. one of the planters of Mil- 
ford, (1639). Other kinsmen in this line are Henry S. Sanford, born 
in Woodbury June 15, 1823, minister to Belgium in Lincoln's adminis- 
tration ; Irving Bacheller, the novelist ; Elias B. Sanford, born in West- 
brook, June 6, 1843. 

2See page 287. 



GOOD CITIZEXSHIP. 



369 




by Morgan G. Bulkeley (1889-93); afterwards a Senator 

(1905-1911) and 
prominent as a 
leader in tlie 
building up of 
the Insurance or- 
ganizations, that 
have given such 
national reputa- 
tion to the city of 
Hartford. Luzon 
B. Morris (1893- 
95) was a N^ew 
Haven lawyer, 
honored and be- 
loved as a man of 
the highest integ- 
rity and character. 
O. Vincent Coffin 
(1895-97) an es- 
teemed business 

The Memorial Tablet to Orville H. Piatt Placed 

by E. H. Van Ingen, E,~q., in the Gunn man, Spent hlS 
Memorial Library, Washington, Conn. . -.^. in 

lite m Middletown 

A Bertram Pegram, Sculptor 

where he was a 
leader in ecclesiastical, social, and intellectual activities 
LorrinA. Cooke (1897-99) was a splendid representative of 
the men that have often come to leadership from the rural 
sections of the State. George E.Lounsbury (1899-1901), in 




370 



HISTOFvY OF CONNECTICUT. 




O. Vincent Coffin 



partnership with his brother, built up a great industry at 

South Xorwalk, and mindful 
of his civic responsibility won 
distinction. George P. McLean 
(1901-1903), a Simsbury 
farmer's boy, graduating from 
Yale in 1904, came rapidly 
to political preferment. Elected 
Senator of the United States 
in 1911, he has received 
recognition from the Senate 
on Committee work of the 
highest order. The same is 
true of his associate Frank 
B. Brandegee (Yale 1885), 

elected Senator in 1905 and re-elected in 1921. As 

a member of the Commit- 
tee on Foreign Relations his 
labors have been arduous. 
Both of these men have a well 
w^on reputation for faithful 
attention to their exacting 
duties. As a speaker Senator 
Brandegee is forceful, and 
often eloquent in the utterance 
of his convictions. Connecti- 
cut owes a debt of grateful 
appreciation to these men who 
have been her able represen- 
tatives at Washington during 




Daniel Nash Morgan^ 



trying historic years. 



'See page 368. 



STATE GOVERNORS. 



371 




Abiram Chamberlain, Governor in 1903-1905, was a 

man of sterling worth of 
character and charming per- 
sonality. Henry Roberts (1905- 
1907) is known as a lover of 
history and biography and a 
special student of political 
economy. Rollin S. Woodruff 
(1907-1909) from an errand 
boy in a ^ew Haven store, 
has risen to a commanding 
position in that city as a busi- 
ness man. Denied the privi- 
lege of a college education he 
has won scholastic honors and 
is a trustee of Wesleyan University. The death of Gover- 
nor George L. Lilley, at the very beginning of his admin- 
istration, called the Lieutenant Governor Frank B. Weeks 
to the Chief Magistracy of the State (1909-1911). A 
successful, and public-spirited business man, Governor 
Weeks filled his high office with eminent satisfaction, 
" In every act," says a recent biographer, " in his public 
utterance, his appointments, his much applauded vetoes, 
his one purpose was, as through all his previous life, to 
do well that which his hands found to do without fear 
or favor." Retiring from active business responsibilities 
in middle life, Governor Weeks has devoted himself with 



RoLLiN S. Woodruff 



372 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 




unceasing assiduity to the discharge of his duties as 

President of one of the largest 
Savings Banks in the State, 
as President for many years 
of the Board of Trustees of 
the Connecticut State Hos- 
pital at Middletown, and as 
a trustee of Wesleyan Univer- 
sity. 

When Simeon E. Baldwin, 
born in 'Ne\v Haven, February 
5, 1840, and graduated at Yale 
in 1861, was called from his 
Frank b. Weeks position as Chief Justice of 

the Supreme Court of Errors, 
to take the Governor's Chair (1911-1915), Connecticut 
was honored in having as its chief magistrate a man who 
had already won national and international recognition 
as a lawyer, jurist, and author. In the annals of the 
State the name of Simeon E. Baldwin has a secure place 
by the side of Roger Sherman and his own distinguished 
kinsman, Roger S. Baldwin, Governor of Connecticut in 
1844-1846. 

Marcus H. Holcomb, from a judgeship of the Superior 
Court was thrice elected Governor (1915-1921). We have 
to go back to the incumbency of Governor Buckingham 
(1858-1866), to discover so long a record of service. 
Governor Holcomb, in reply to a question, gave as the 
essentials of success, " honesty, industry and sobriety." 
If to these essentials, we add character, brain power, 
and executive ability, we shall find the secret of Marcus 
H. Holcomb's career in the positions of trust he has so 
modestly but ably filled. 



STATE GOVERNORS. 



373 



Everett J. Lake, elected Governor in 1921, was born in 
Woodstock in 1871. A graduate of Harvard (1892), he 
disclosed tHe qualities in his high office that have 

brought him success as a busi- 
ness man. Without fear or 
favor he made decisions that 
pleased the great body of Con- 
necticut voters, even if they 
failed sometimes to secure the 
approval of self-seeking poli- 
ticians. 

In closing this half century 
roll call of the Chief Magis- 
trates of our Ancient Com- 
monwealth, we quote an inti- 
GiMEON E. Baldwin mate passage from a letter in 

which Governor Phineas C. 
Lounsbury (1887-1889) gave his "guide-post directions 
for life." " Imbibe," he says, " and practice, Christian 






Everett J. Lake 



Marcus U. HoLCor^iB 



374 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 

ideals, preach and practice purity in politics, be kind and 
considerate in the treatment of others. Honor your 
father and mother. Be just, have mercy, and observe the 
Golden Kule. Kemember that it is not money but 
character that makes men." We could wish that some 
patriotic society or individuals would have these words 
printed large land placed in every school room and public 
and business office in the State. 

CIVIC LIFE. 

The rapid growth of the older cities and the evolution 
of thriving villages into city organization and govern- 
ment have in recent years brought civic duties and respon- 
sibilities to the front. This increase of urban population, 
while giving evidence of material prosperity, has in it 
elements of serious import and danger. Social cleavages, 
ostentatious parade of wealth, lacking brains, culture and 
good sense, and having little thought of civic or moral re- 
sponsibility for the welfare of the community, as a whole, 
are harmful sources of degenerative influence that are 
in evidence on every side. Scarcely less to be deplored is 
the lack of interest taken in the practical direction and or- 
ganization of party politics by large numbers of cultured 
and influential men and women. The call of pleasure, 
the demands of business, a selfish, unsocial unwillingness 
to mingle with those who bear the heavy, disagreeable 
tasks and burdens of life, and a professed disgust with 
the methods and action of political leaders, are made the 
excuse for the neglect of the duties of citizenship. How 
far such neglect belies the spirit of the founders and 
leaders of Connecticut in all the years of its history is 
easily seen as we study the record. Fortunately there 
are still a goodly company of those descended from 
Puritan forbears who do realize the responsibility of 



MORAL AND ( IVIC RESPONSIBILITY. 375 

citizenship and are deeply interested in the right conduct 
of the civic affairs of the communities in which they re- 
side. The influence for good of these patriotic men and 
women is constantly fortified by the newspapers that have 
for over a century exerted a constant and wholesome in- 
fluence in the political and civic life of the State. 

We hear much in these days of the need of American- 
ization; a word applied, generally, to the foreign popula- 
tion that has turned some Connecticut cities into verit- 
able Babels. That a great work is called for in this 
direction, we cannot doubt. But must this work wait or 
depend upon new instrumentalities? Are existing instru- 
mentalities doing their full share in securing better civic 
conditions? Are the boys and girls, whose ballots will 
soon decide the question upon whose right answer de- 
pends the welfare of the State and the nation, receiving 
the best training in our public schools in preparation for 
the duties of citizenship? Knowledge, without an awak- 
ening of moral and civic responsibility, crow^ds our jails 
and prisons with forgers, defaulters, and skilled crimi- 
nals. Outside prison walls it gives birth to a spawn of 
political schemers that are a curse and menace to the 
community and state. Urban and rural communities 
must alike suffer while degenerate native born citizens and 
ignorant debased foreign born men are allowed to work 
their selfish schemes. With these words of warning we 
hasten to add words of commendation and appreciation 
of the activities of public-spirited men and women who 
have done and are doing so much to purify the sources 
of civic life and give guidance in the organizations, con- 
ventions and meetings, necessitating large expense in time 
and money, that are absolutely necessary to the right con- 
duct of politics and civic affairs. 



376 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 

CONNECTICUT IN THE WORLD WAR. 

Connecticut has never failed to respond with loyal 
alacrity to the call that has summoned her sons to rally 
to the support of the national government. Twice during 
the past fifty years this call has come. In the Spanish 
war the need of men was easily met by ordinary enlist- 
ment, but when the horrible war clouds broke in satanic 
fury over Belgium and J^orthern France and the tragedy 
of the sinking of the Lusitania compelled the United 
States to enter the World War, there was no shrinking of 
responsibility on the part of Connecticut. Marcus H. 
Holcomb by his wise guidance gained a place on the page 
of history by the side of Jonathan Trumbull and William 
A. Buckingham. In many ways the selective service, that 
called the young men of Connecticut to their allotted 
place and duty, was as severe a test of patriotism and 
loyalty as history records. 

Standing by the side of their brothers from every part 
of the Union, they endured hardships in campaigns of 
danger and death made terrible by the modern methods of 
destruction. " On Flanders Fields," in the beautiful cem- 
eteries set apart by the government of France for our 
soldier dead, rests many a stalwart, beloved, true born 
Connecticut boy. Peace to their memories. Their con- 
secrated lives and heroic deeds were not in vain. We 
salute the flag they loved, and pray that the remembrance 
of the sacrifice they made may be an incentive to every 
boy and girl who reads these lines to live lives worthy 
of such a heritage. 

We would not forget the part acted by Connecticut men 
of foreign birth, in this great struggle to save the nation 
and world in the hour of supreme need and peril. The 



CONNECTICUT DEMOCRACY. 



377 



brave Major Raoiil Lufbery coming from a Wallingford 

home and educated in its 

schools, gave his life among 
the first who dared the danger 
of army flight, and deserves 
a place by the side of JN^athan 
Hale, and th« multitude of 
Connecticut men who in the 
Revolutionary war, the war 
for the Union, and the World 
war, laid down their lives 
upon the altar of their country. 

Raoul Lufbeey 




A recent historian ^ of the founding of N^ew England 
affirms that " Although there was little in the Funda- 
mental Orders, as settled in 1639, which cannot be found 
in previous custom or legislation in Massachusetts or 
Plymouth, nevertheless, only those elements which were 
of a democratic tendency were put into the new constitu- 
tion, and there was distinctly a more democratic attitude 
on the part of the leaders and the people of Connecticut 
than in the Bay Colony." 

The contrasted influences which the new colony and 
its parent were bringing to bear upon the development of 
American thought at this time may best be illustrated by 
the theories of their several leaders. Perhaps the two 
most influential men in ]^ew England in 1640, and the 
two who most deserved the positions assigned them, were 
John Winthrop, the leader in Massachusetts, and Thomas 
Hooker, the leader in Connecticut. Winthrop's opinion 



'James Truslow Adams. 



378 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



of democracy as " the worst of all forms of government," 
stands in marked contrast to Hooker's belief that the 
complete control of their rulers " belongs unto the people by 
God's own allowance." In the important question whether 
judges should render arbitrary decisions wholly according 
to their personal views, or be limited by a fundamental 
body of laws, the two leaders were equally far apart. 
" Whatsoever sentence the magistrate gives," wrote Win- 
throp, who opposed any such limitation, " the judgment 
is the Lord's, though he do it not by any rule prescribed 
by civil authority." " That in the matter which is referred 
to the judge," asserted Hooker, on the other hand, " the 
sentence should lie in his breast, or be left to his dis- 
cretion, according to which he should go, I am afraid it 
is a course which wants both safety and warrant. I 
must confess, I ever looked at it as a way which leads 
directly to tyranny, and so to confusion, and must plainly 
profess, if it was in my liberty, I should choose neither 

to live nor leave my 
posterity under such a 
government." 

Referring to the in- 
fluence and leadership 
given in civil and po- 
litical aifairs by minis- 
ters during the colonial 
period, Mr. Adams says, 
"It is difficult for the 
modern layman to real- 
It came about in part from the Puritan 
doctrine that nothing in life was untinged with a religious 
aspect. As, according to Puritan theory, there was no act 
which was not of a religious or moral character, the clergy- 




The Tapping Reeve Law School, 

Litchfield. 
The First Law School in the Country. 

ize its full extent. 



LEGAL PROFESSION. 379 

man was, so to say, a specialist on one aspect of everything, 
and from that standpoint his advice must be sought in 
every detail of life, and his influence was correspondingly 
great. * * * The influence of the clergy was wholly, 
at least in the beginning, on the side of freedom. "• 

LEGAL PROFESSION. 

If the legal profession had scant recognition in early 
colonial days, it has secured its full quota of influence and 
oflice-holding in the last century and a half. Some are 
inclined to the opinion that it usurps, at present, more than 
its due share of official positions. The remarkable advance 
in the leadership and influence of the legal profession may 
be traced from the days w^hen Litchfield became famous 
as the residence of the Law School that was founded and 
carried on for many years by Tapping Eeeve, w^ho became 
judge of the Superior Court, and then chief justice. 
Among the graduates of this famous school were ten 
governors of States, sixteen United States Senators, fifty 
members of Congress, two justices of the United States 
Supreme Court, five Cabinet members, forty judges of 
the higher State courts, and eight chief justices of the 
State. 

The part taken by Connecticut lawyers in the history 
of the Commonwealth is noted on all its pages. The 
names of Sherman, Ellsw^orth, Johnson, Mason, Sw^ift, 
Baldwin, Griswold, McCurdy, Waite and others are 
enrolled at the very head of the legal profession in all the 
years of United States history. In the last half century 
Connecticut has enjoyed the services of a brillant galaxy 
of legal luminaries w^ho have done honorable and note- 
worthy service on the Bench, at the Bar and in State and 

'The Founding of New England, pp. 183, 194, 195. 



380 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 

N^ational legislatures. The names of Simeon E. Baldwin, 
Marcus H. Holcomb, Henry Wade Rogers, George W. 
Wheeler, George P. McLean, Frank B. Brandegee and 
many other men of marked intellectual and moral strength 
have won a place in the highest ranks of the legal pro- 
fession in the State and nation. 

THE MEDICAL PROFESSION. 

While the pages of history do not give large space to 
the far-reaching influence of eminent physicians and 
surgeons, we all understand that they have had a leading 
place in making the story of Connecticut what it is. 
Compelled by the very exigencies of their laborious pro- 
fession to forego political office and preferment, they have 
in quiet ways been leaders in civic affairs and in the life 
and destiny of Connecticut homes. In the larger cities 
men like Doctors Knight and Bacon of ^ew Haven, and 
distinguished surgeons of national reputation in Hartford 
and other communities, have won wide and honorable 
recognition. But in quiet villages and rural communities 
hundreds of noble, cultured physicians have lived and 
accomplished a noble service, whose names have had no 
wide heralding. The time will come when some Ian 
MacLaren will give us life sketches of Connecticut country 
doctors whose careers of self-sacrificing service and 
nobility of character and helpful influence will match in 
interest the inimitable story of the beloved doctor of 
Drumtochty. 



CHAPTER V. 

CONNECTICUT IN LITERATURE/ 

COi^NECTICUT in its literary activities has made a 
wortliy record in the last half century. In the retro- 
spect of colonial days, Jonathan Edwards, born in 
East Windsor, October 5, 1703, is the great outstanding 
figure. " The most able metaphysician and the most influ- 
ential religious thinker of x\merica, he must rank in the- 
ology, dialectics, mysticism and philosophy with Calvin 
and Fenelon, Augustine and Aquinas, Spinoza and l^ov- 
alis ; with Berkeley and Hume as the great English philoso- 
phers of the 18th century; and with Hamilton and Erank- 
lin as the three American thinkers of the same century 
of more than provincial importance."^ The Rev. George 
L. Clark, in his excellent history of Connecticut, gives 
us a taste of the poetry that won popularity in colonial 
days. Roger Wolcott, boru in Windsor, 1679, gained 
renown as an officer in the campaign against Canada 
in 1711. On his return home in 1728 he published 
Poetical Meditations, being the Iniprovement of Some 
Vacant Hours. In his Meditation on Mans Fallen Es- 
tate, he breaks forth into the following lines: 

" Once did I view a fragrant flower fair. 
Till through the optick window of mine eye. 
The sweet discovery of its beauties rare 
Did much affect and charm my fantasie, 
To see how bright and sweetly it did shine 
In beauties that were purely genuine. 



'See pages 296-301. 

-Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Ed., Vol. IX. 

381 



382 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 

This flower collects the ' ^utrimental juice/ 
That's of the earth it did monopolize 
The same to its own benefit and use, 
Also the benediction of the skies." 

This extract will suffice. And yet the thoughtful readers 
of colonial days found great enjoyment in these, and like, 
poetical effusions. The " Hartford Wits "^ of Revolu- 
tionary times disclose a distinct advance in style and 
struck off sparks of genius in their literary efforts. The 
mid years of the T^ineteenth Century gave a permanent 
place to Connecticut poets in the annals of American Lit- 
erature.^ "We quote a few lines that will stir the hearts of 
some readers with tender memories of the days of youth 
when they read or recited them in the old school houses 
and academies of their native State. James Gates Perci- 
val, born in Berlin, September 15, 1795, published his first 
volume of miscellaneous poems in 1822, and continued 
to write and puT)lish until 1843, when he became absorbed 
in the geological surveys that gave him eminence as a 
geologist. We quote the opening lines of his Graves of 
the Patriots: 

" Here rest the great and good. Here they repose 
After their generous toil. A sacred band 
They take their sleep together, while the year 
Comes with its early flowers to deck their graves, 
And gathers them again, as Winter frowns. 
Theirs is no vulgar sepulchre — green sods 
Are all their monument, and yet it tells 
A nobler history than pillared piles. 
Or the eternal pyramids. 

They need 
'No statue nor inscription to reveal 
Their greatness." 



'See pages 297, 299. 
-See page 300. 



9 
COXXKCTlcrT ATTHORS. 333 

How many of the " boys in blue^" contemporaries of 
a remnant of a still living generation, caught the spirit 
of patriotism as they read the lines of Fitz-Greene Hal- 
leck? 

" They fought like brave men, long and well ; 

They piled that ground with Moslem slain; 

The conquered — but Bozzaris fell, 

Bleeding at every vein. 

His few surviving comrades saw 

His smile, when rang their proud huzza. 

And the red field was won ; 

Then saw in death his eyelids close. 

Calmly as to a night's repose, 

Like flowers at set of sun." 

A like stirring bugle call breaks forth in John Pier- 
pont's, Warren s Address at Bunker Hill. 

Stand ! the ground's your own, my braves ! 
Will ye give it up to slaves? 

Mrs Emma Hart Willard, born in Berlin in 1787, did 
notable work in the writing of school books, but she will 
longer be remembered as the author of " Rocked in the 
Cradle of the Deep." Lydia H. Sigourney, born in N'or- 
wich in 1791, during her long life, was a prolific writer 
of sentimental poetry, good, bad and indifferent. Samu.el 
G. Goodrich, better known as " Peter Parley," was born 
in Ridgefield in 1793. He won both fame and fortune 
by his books that were largely written for the benefit of 
young people. 

The closing years of the Eighteenth century and the 
opening of the Nineteenth give the birth dates of a group 
of men and women who won a remarkable place in the 
renaissance period of American literature. Amos Bron- 
son Alcott, born in Wolcott in 1799, the friend of Emer- 
son, did some fairly good literary work, and, best of all, 
Avas the father of the author of Little Women, the 



384 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 




From " Royal Truths 
lished in 1S65 
Henry Ward Beecher 



2}ub- 



classic story tb*at Theodore Roosevelt said he read and re- 
read. George D. Prentice, the famous editor of the Louis- 
ville Jour7ial, was born in Preston in 1802. Of Horace 

Bushnell the great theologian, 
preacher, publicist, and writer, 
we haA^e made mention in 
other chapters.^ Lyman 
Beecher, born at I^ew Haven, 
October 12, 1775, lived on to 
extreme old age (1863).2 A 
preacher of remarkable power 
and eloquence, his pen was 
constantly employed in cor- 
respondence and the writing of 
books and pamphlets. Few 
men in his day and genera- 
tion exerted a more powerful 
influence in advancing the cause of temperance and 
Christian unity. It was during his Litchfield pastorate 

that his noted children, Henry 
Ward Beecher, and Harriet 
-^^^ Beecher Stowe, Avere born. 

T^^^ * In reminiscences, penned in 

later life, Mrs. Stowe relates 
the story that when she was 
about nine years old, attend- 
jlJfe^flK ing the famous school of Mr. 

m^^K^- Brace, she prepared a com- 

^F^r '^ position taking the negative 

of the question, " Can the im- 
mortality of the soul be 
proved by the light of na- 
ture ? " At a public exhibition 



Courtesy G. P. Putnam's Sons 
Harriet Beecher Stowe 



'See pages 298, 301, 
-See page 251. 



341. 



CONXKCTKT'T AUTHORS. 385 

this, with oth compositions, was read. Mr. Beecher, 
who was sitting on the platform, listened with interest 
to the paper. At its close he turned to a teacher and 
asked, "Who wrote that compo.Hion?" "Your daughter, 
sir ! " was the answer. " It was," b^ys Mrs. Stowe, " the 
proudest moment of my hie. There was no mistaking 
father's face when he was pleased, and to have interested 
him was past all juvenile triumphs." Dr. Beecher lived 
to read the story of UyicJe Tom's Cabin} 

From the Congregational parsonage in Haddam went 
out the children of David Dudley Field: David Dudley, 
the great lawyer and legal writer; Cyrus, of Atlantic 
Cable fame; Stephen, Justice of the Supreme Court of 
the United States; Henry M., editor and author. 

Donald G. Mitchell, born in Norwich in 1822, under 
the pseudonym of " Ik Marvel " wrote charming essays 
that have become classic. Henry Clay Work, born in 
Middletown in 1832, gained fame as the greatest United 
States writer of popular songs next to Stephen C. Foster. 
The best knowm are Father, Come Home; Kingdom's 
Coming; Wake Nicodemus; Marching Through Georgia; 
and My Grandfather s Clock. The stories of Rose Terry 
Cooke, born in West Hartford in 1827, were widely read 
and admired. Theodore Winthrop, born in l^ew Haven 
in 1828, fell in one of the early battles of the Civil War. 
His novels published posthumously showed that he would 
have had a successful literary career. 

Charles Dudley Warner, who identified his life so in- 
timately with Hartford, through his editorial work and 
his. books, like his neighbor for many years, Samuel 
Clemens, was born outside Connecticut, but as adopted 
sons the name and fame of these men is a part of Con- 
necticut history. The poet-banker, Edmund C. Stedman, 

T>ee pages 298, 300. 



386 



HISTORY OF COXXECTICL'T 



first saw the light in Hartford in 1833. In the composi- 
tion of ballads and lyrics, he holds a high place. The 
Library of American Literature, of which he was a joint 
editor, contains articles from his pen of which the En- 
cylopsedia Britannica says, referring to their enlarge- 
ment in the two volumes, Victorian Poets (1875), and 
Poets of America, " They form the most symmetrical 
body of literary criticism yet published in the United 
States." 

EdAvard Rowland Sill, born in Windsor in 1841, was 
a welcome contributor to the best magazines of his day, a 
graceful essayist and a poet of rare gifts. His death in 
middle life cut short a career of great promise. 

John Fiske was born in Hartford on the 30th of 
March, 1842. His historical works are, for the most part, 
studies of separateyet related episodes in American history. 
Keen in their analysis; dramatic in style; and giving 
generalizations, based upon wide reading; his books have 
done much to popularize and increase interest in Ameri- 

^ , can history. It is possible, 

■IIIIP however, that his more last- 

■HV ing fame will rest upon his 

IIP' l)ooks, that in a lucid, helpful 

l| » ,. ^^'^y? illustrated and explained 

HK the significance, historical and 

BIpP *'C scientific, of the theories of 

W m^ Darwin and Herbert Spencer. 

^_ ^^^ The name of Caleb T. Win- 

H^K.^^ ^fl^^^H Chester, born in Uncasville in 

^^HH| * f^^^^M '^^^^, is worthy of a high 

* place in the galaxy of Con- 

iRviNG bacheller uccticut tcachcrs and writers. 

For a half century connected 



COXXECTICUT AUTHORS. 



387 



with Wesleyan University, he wrote several volumes of 
charming essays and a standard Life of John Wesley. 

In later years Irving Bacheller, a descendant of Thomas 
Sanford, one of the pioneer founders of Milford (1639), 
and long a resident of the State, has won fame as a novel- 
ist. His best known story, Ehen Holden, had a very 
large sale. William Lyon Phelps, born in New Haven 
in 1865, and since 1896 an honored and beloved professor 
of English literature in Yale University, has written and 
edited volumes of permanent worth, while contributing 
largely to current magazines and newspapers. 

Connecticut born men have accomplished widely 

recognized work as authors of 
historical, scientific and theo- 
logical books of permanent 
value. Benjamin Trumbull, 
in the Congregational parson- 
age of jSTorth Haven, over a 
century ago, in an enduring 
fashion gathered the record 
of Connecticut in colonial 



William Lyon Phelps 




Later on, the somewhat 

eccentric John W. Barber, 

riding through the State from 

town to town, gathered their 

history and traditions into the Collections, that are a 

storehouse of delightful information to every lover of 

Connecticut local history. 

In the middle years of the JSTineteenth century J. H. Hol- 
lister, a cultured lawyer of Litchfield, prepared two bulky 
volumes, based upon the researches of Trumbull, that for 
many years held a place as the standard history of the 



388 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



State. In the same year in which the first edition of 
this book appeared Alexander Johnston, one of America's 
ablest historical scholars, published his Connecticut in the 
well known Commonwealth series of State histories. The 
more exhaustive and well written history of George L. 
Clark appeared in 1914. 

The editing of the Colonial Records of Connecticut 
(15 vols.), bears testimony to the monumental services 
rendered by J. Hammond Trumbull and Charles Hoadly. 
This work in various ways, has been supplemented by the 
researches of Forrest Morgan, a worthy successor of 
the scholarly men who have mined the ore that others have 
utilized. Mention of all the volumes and pamphlets that 
have given the record of town and county history, and 

special periods, would make 
a library catalogue. In this 
field the work of Ellen C. 
Earned, William Cothren, Ed- 
ward E. Atwater, Joseph An- 
derson, Charles M. AndrcAvs 
and others have been of 
great value. 

In the field of general his- 
tory, George P. Eisher of the 
Yale Divinity School won a 
high place. His History of 
the Reformation is still a 
standard work. Williston 
Walker of the same institution was recognized as one of 
the leading church historians of his day. Early in the 
IN'ineteenth Century Edward Robinson, born in Stonington 
in 1794, wrote and edited volumes on the Greek ^ew 
Testament and Hebrew Scriptures and Holy Land re- 




FoRREST Morgan 



CONNECTICUT AUTHORS. 389 

searcli that gained world-wide recognition. In this field 
Benjamin W. Bacon has done notable work.^ Theodore I). 
Woolsey during his long connection with Yale College as 
professor and president, published works that established 
his reputation as one of America's greatest scholars. The 
name of James Dwight Dana stands at the head of the 
list of eminent geologists of international fame. The 
work and writings of William G. Sumner in history, 
finance, and political philosophy, and Othniel C. Marsh 
in palaeontology, were of the highest order. The same 
is true of the learned contributions of William D. Whit- 
ney, James Hadley, E'oah Porter, and other sons of Con- 
necticut who in professorial chairs in Yale, Wesle^jan 
and Trinity have accomplished enduring work with 
their pen. 

In this list mention should be made of Wilbur Olin At- 
water, who during his connection with Wesleyan Univer- 
sity gained national and international recognition for 
his investigations in dietetics and as the founder of the 
office of Experiment Stations of the United States De- 
partment of Agriculture. Asaph Hall, born in Goshen 
in 1829, was the discoverer of the two moons of Mars. 
We have by no means given a full roster of the names 
of Connecticut men and women who have done, and are 
doing, notable literary work. Some, especially of the 
younger generation, will have fitting recognition from 
future historians. 



^Benjamin Wisner Bacon, born in Litchfield (1860), the grandson of 
Leonard Bacon and son of Leonard Woolsey Bacon, a prominent pastor 
of Congregational and Presbyterian Churches and author of A History 
of American Christianity^ has been connected with the Yale Divinity 
School since 1896. Dr. Bacon has won by his success as a teacher, 
and the authorship of many volumes, a leading position among scholars 
in the field of New Testament criticism and Biblical exegesis. 



CHAPTEK VI. 

CONNECTICUT IN THE FINE ARTS AND MUSIC. 
PAINTERS. 

THE Yale Art Gallery, and the Atheneum and Mor- 
gan Memorial of Hartford, bear testimony to the 
place won by natives of Connecticut in the Eine Arts. The 
beautiful needle work of colonial days, preserved in the 
historical collections of many of the cities and towns of 
the State, attest the skill of the mothers of a generation 
of artists and painters whose names stand high on the roll 
of distinguished artists. One of the earliest Colonial 
painters, J. B. Blackburn, if tradition is correct, was born 
in Wethersfield about 1700. In his day Blackburn, it is 
said by competent authority, " stood second only to Cop- 
ley." Ralph Earle, born in Lebanon about 1751, was a 
famous painter of miniatures. He studied under Ben- 
jamin West and was so successful that he gained permis- 
sion to paint a portrait of George III. 

John Trumbull, son of Governor Jonathan Trumbull, 
was born in Lebanon in 1756. A graduate of Harvard, 
against the wish of his distinguished father he turned 
his attention to the art of painting. With the outbreak 
of the Revolution he served under Washington and Gates. 
In 1777 he studied with Benjamin West in London. On 
his return to America, with indefatigable zeal he produced 
the gallery of portraits of the eminent leaders of his day 
that are now so highly prized. In the later years of the 

390 



PAINTERS AND SCULPTORS. 39 1 

Eighteenth century and the early years of the Nineteenth, 
the paintings of miniatures was brought to a very high 
standard. Among these painters we find Elkanah Tisdale 
(born in Lebanon about 1771) ; Samuel Waldo (born 
in Windham in 1783), an artist of consummate technical 
skill. At the head of the list of great painters 
born in Connecticut, most would place the name of Fred- 
erick E. Church. Hartford was his birthplace (1826). 
While in his teens he became a pupil of Thomas Cole. 
The teacher left a lasting impression upon his style and 
kindled a passion for the most careful handling of de- 
tails. When Sir Caspar Clarke rearranged the hanging 
of the pictures in the Metropolitan Museum of New York, 
he gave a prominent place to Church's Heart of the An- 
des. The verdict of the English critic that " Church was 
a great painter," was generally accepted. Samuel E. B. 
Morse although born in Boston (1781), was the son of a 
Congregational minister of Woodstock. For a time he 
made his home in New Haven on a site near the present 
Yale Art School. He was an excellent artist, but his 
fame rests upon his invention of the magnetic telegraph. 
John L. Eitch, the " forest painter," was a Hartford 
boy (1836). One of his best known works is Tivilight on. 
Johns BrooJi. Gurdon Trumbull, born in Stonington in 
1841, made a specialty of painting fish. A Critical Mo- 
ment is called his best production. George F. Wright 
(Washington, 1828) had his studio for many years in 
Hartford. His portrait of Lincoln attracted wide atten- 
tion. John F. Kensett was born in Cheshire in 1818. 
In his New York studio he produced his best paintings, 
among them Genesee River and Lahe George. George H. 
Durrie (New Haven, 1820), won reputation as a painter 
of pastoral landscapes. Edward S. Bartholomew (Col- 



392 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 

Chester, 1822) for a time was director of the Wadsworth 
Gallery in Hartford. Disabled by an illness that left 
him permanently crippled, with undaunted courage he 
travelled and studied in Southern Europe and gained skill 
in his profession that brought him success. The name of 
Ralph Isham is remembered in connection with the Wads- 
worth Gallery. Charles D. Brown ell (Providence, 1822), 
who in early life made his home in East Hartford, was 
an eminent landscape painter. George H. Cushman 
(Windham, 1814), won fame as a miniature painter. R. 
W. Hubbard (Middletown, 1847) became noted for his 
effective use of chiaroscuro. Henry C. Flagg (N^ew 
Haven, 1812) a nephew of Washington Allston, did no- 
table work as a painter of animals and marine views. 
George W. Flagg (]^ew Haven, 1817) is known for his 
fine portrait of William Ellery Channing and also one 
of his uncle Washington Allston. The Match Girl and 
the Landing of the Pilgrims are among his best paintings. 
Jared B. Elagg (^ew Haven, 1820) was an eminent 
portrait painter. Other sons of Connecticut have left 
works that are of great value and interest. Through the 
genius of named and unnamed artists, Connecticut has 
the proud record of being the pioneer State for standard 
historical paintings. 

SCULPTORS. 

Hezekiah Augur (N'ew Haven, 1791) was the first 
American sculptor. Self taught, his work early attracted 
attention and he was commissioned by Congress to make 
a bust of Chief Justice Ellsworth. His marble statuettes 
Jephtha and his Daughter are in the Trumbull Gallery at 
Yale University. Olin L. Warner (West Suffield, 1844), 
killed by accident in early manhood, is best known by his 



APvCHITElTLRK AND MUSIC. 393 

bronze statues of William Lloyd Garrison and Governor 
Buckingham, and liis Tivilight and The Dancing Nymph. 
Among living sculptors, Paul Wayland Bartlett (New 
Haven, 1865) has won a high place. He designed the 
statues of Columbus and Michelangelo in the Congres- 
sional Library at Washington ; a pediment over the House 
wing of the Capitol; and six statues on the front of the 
!N^ew York Public Library. 

In the list of Connecticut born architects, we place first 
the name of David Hoadley (Waterbury, 1774). Meet- 
ing-houses in Milford and l^orfolk and other edifices at- 
test his skill. He designed and built the Center Church in 
ISTew Haven ; and drew the plans of the Wadsworth iVthe- 
neum and Christ Church in Hartford. He illustrated the 
Christopher Wren style of architecture in drawing the 
plans of churches that are the pride of Wethersfield and 
Farmington. John Perguson Weir and his brother 
Julian Alden Weir, sons of the eminent portrait and 
historical painter, Robert W. Weir, have by their con- 
nection with the Yale Art School won a place in the roll 
of Connecticut architects and designers. 

MUSIC. 

Lining-out, a method of singing established by the Eng- 
lish Parliament in 1644, was adopted in Connecticut and 
continued through colonial days.* This rule originated 
in action taken by the Westminster Assembly when they 
abolished the liturgy and substituted psalm-singing, with 
the injunction, " For the present, when many in the con- 
gregation cannot read, it is convenient that the minister, 
or some fit person .... read the psalm line by 
line, before singing thereof." It was not until after the 
Revolution that this custom entirely died out. Singing 

'See page 128. 



394 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 

by note was bitterly opposed by many, and as late as 1733 
the church in Glastonbury in a spirit of compromise voted 
to use one method in the morning and the other in the 
afternoon. 

Singing schools were popular early in the eighteenth 
century in spite of the opposition of conservatives who 
regarded singing under instruction and by note a heinous 
sin. In one church where trouble arose and the choir 
for a time refused to sing, when they finally returned 
the minister gave out the hymn 

And are ye wretches yet alive? 
And do ye yet rebel? 

In another church a good deacon, disgusted with the 
new way of singing, after the choir had finished a hymn 
arose and indignantly exclaimed, " ^ow^ let the people 
of God sing." In Harwinton when the then modern 
method w^as first used, a church member rose from his seat 
and marched down the aisle crying, " Popery, Popery." 
The key-note was first struck by the use of a pitchpipe, 
and later by a tuning-fork; now a curiosity but used by 
many choir leaders and teachers within the memory of 
the writer. 

Andrew Law, born in Cheshire in 1748, was a famous 
teacher and published a journal called the Art of Sing- 
ing. In the early part of the iS'ineteenth century, the de- 
mand increased for a higher style of melody and the 
works of Handel, Haydn and Mozart came into use. 
Thomas Hastings, born in Washington in 1787, early 
made his home in ^ew York and became a leading 
teacher of singing. He wrote many hymns and composed 
their music. Singing schools became the centre of social 
life among young people in almost every Connecticut 



MUSICIANS. 



395 



Tillage, and pianos and melodeons multiplied where only 
a few spinets and harpsichords had been owned by 
wealthy families. 

Dudley Buck, born in Hartford in 1839, was an 
eminent composer of modern music. His concert tours 
gave him a national reputation and he filled a leading 
part in great Music Festivals held in Cincinnati and N'ew 
York. His most important work was an oratorio, The 
Light of Asia. 

The Yale School of Music has exerted a wide and grow- 
ing influence under the direction and endowment of 
Samuel Sanford and men like Parker, Jepson and others. 
Horatio Parker won distinction as a composer of music 
of the highest quality. The Litchfield County Choral 
Union, through the generous gifts of Carl Stoeckel and 

his wife, a daughter of Eob- 
bins Battel, has made l^orfolk 
for many years a Mecca for 
the lovers of good music from 
every part of the country. 

Born in Meriden and edu- 
cated in its public schools, 
Kosa Melba Ponselle has, in 
recent years, attained wide 
fame as a singer and member 
of the Metropolitan Opera 
Company of ^ew York. 
Rosa Melba Ponselle 




CHAPTER VII. 

MANUFACTURINGS AGRICULTURE, INSURANCE AND 
BANKING. 

THE water-wlieels that utilized the brooks and rivers 
of Connecticut, in running the machinery of grist 
mills, saw mills, and small factories in Colonial days, and 
up to the middle years of the nineteenth century, have 
been replaced by the steam and electric engines that fur- 
nish the power that keeps hundreds, of Avorkmen busy in 
great establishments covering, sometimes, acres of ground. 
From small beginnings Connecticut has become famous 
for its brass goods, clocks, typewriters, house fittings, 
silk and cotton fabrics, and innumerable varieties of iron 
castings and tools.^ The inventive genius of earlier days 
is still alive, and again and again, in the last fifty years, 
some happy combination, thought out in native born 
brains, has laid the foundation of a goodly fortune. The 
financial returns from the manufacturing interests that 
have within a few decades developed villages into thriv- 
ing cities,^ have brought about marvelous changes in civic 
conditions and in the architectural and landscape beauty 
of a multitude of homes. While these great manufac- 
turing establishments have not been entirely free from 
labor troubles, there has been less friction between labor 
and capital than, perhaps, in any section of the country. 
It is to be hoped that this record will continue to improve 
and that more and more the social welfare of individual 
workers, and the community as a whole, will have a fore- 

^See pages 284-295. 
-See pages 332, 333. 

•''Bristol in 1880, had a population of 5,347 ; in 1920, it was 20.620. 
Torrington numbered 3,327 in 1880; in 1920, 22,055. 

396 



MANUFACTURING. 397 

most place in the plans of those who are prospering 
through the skill and toil of those whom they employ. 
Wealth fairly won, is, if wisely used, a source of innum- 
erable blessings; but no reward is more satisfactory, in 
lasting dividends, than wealth shared with the community 
in which it has been gathered, in the endowment and 
development of institutions, educational, philanthropic 
and aesthetic. The names of scores of Connecticut men 
and women have found a place in this constantly growing 
roll of honor. Many of its towns and all of its- cities 
have been the recipients of this bounty, that in libraries, 
schools, hospitals, and public parks, is giving the people, 
rich and poor alike, inestimable privileges such as the 
wealthiest, in former days, did not enjoy. 

While we can but deplore the ostentatious display of 
wealth, often ill gotten, the community generally very 
fairly places the hall mark of distinction upon ability 
that, in winning a fortune in legitimate ways, does not 
forget to share it with those less favored. Far more wise 
is the man who in his lifetime shares his wealth with 
the community and State, rather than wait for death to 
demand the toll of just taxation or prove a curse to 
parasitic heirs. The increase of the number of men and 
women who have never learned the lessons of industry 
and frugality, and whose lives are spent in indolence with 
little care or thought of the responsibilities and steward- 
ship of inherited wealth, is a menace to the State and na- 
tion. There is neither happiness, satisfaction, nor distinc- 
tion, in such a life. Money can purchase many things; 
but mental discipline, unselfish service, abiding respect, 
and worth while distinction, is not a prize to be bought 
with dollars — even if they reach the million mark. 
The story of the growth and development of Connecti- 



398 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 

cut indrxStries is one of romance and noble achievement. 
The situation of the State, in its proximity to great 
centres of population, with vantage ground already se- 
cured and the still almost exhaustless and unused power 
of her water courses, in addition to the inherited attain- 
ments of past generations, promise to keep our common- 
wealth at the forefront in its vast manufacturing interests. 

AGRICULTURES 

Agriculture, as a science and a lucrative occupation, 
has made a marked advance since the d«ays of the Civil 
War. The founding of the State Agricultural College in 
1879 opened a new era in the tilling of Connecticut soil, 
that has always richly rewarded the industry of those who 
have worked it. The stone walls, broken with the frosts 
of many winters, that still mark the boundaries of 
pasture, woodland, and cultivated fields, bear silent testi- 
mony to the sturdy strength of the hands that laid them 
in colonial times. ]^o longer do yokes of oxen drag the 
stone boats in clearing the fields or slowly pull the plow 
that turns the sod in preparation for the planting of 
corn and potatoes and the sowing of wheat, rye and oats; 
These staple crops, with the products of the dairy, and the 
fruit of heavy laden orchards, placed upon the table of 
the Connecticut farmer, in earlier days, an abundance of 
wholesome food that attested the skill of notable house- 
wives who had never heard of Domestic Science, but from 
favorite receipts handed down from mother to daughter, 
concocted marvellous pies, cakes, preserves, and other 
dainties that still, in taste, tantalize the memory of 
some born in the mid years of the nineteenth century. 
The swish of the scythe in early summer mornings is no 
longer heard in the land of " Steady Habits," and a 

^See pages 333-334. 



AGRICULTURE. 399 

large part of the heavy toil of former years is accom- 
plished with the aid of machinery. 

From 1850 to 1880 the number of farms increased, but 
this condition was followed by a marked decrease. Em- 
igration westward, and the seductive appeal of village 
and factory life, brought about the disuse of seventy-si> 
thousand acres of improved land in the decade ending in 
1910. But a change has come in this tide that left so 
many abandoned farms in every part of the State. Im- 
migration, from Southern and Central Europe, has al- 
ready wrought marvellous changes in sections of the State 
where once highly cultivated fields had become overgrown 
with bushes and wild fruit. On the broken cellar walls of 
former farm houses, sturdy hands, with toil in which 
after old-world fashion, women and children' have a part, 
are founding new homes. With intensive cultivation 
abandoned farms are rewarding industry with ample re- 
turns that supply the market places of nearby villages 
and cities. 

In recent years the worth of land and buildings has 
rapidly increased, and it is estimated that the value of 
implements, machinery and live stock is tw^ce as great 
as sixty years ago. The increase in the value of poultry 
has been over fifty per cent, within twenty years and 
farm crops have increased in price in almost a like ratio. 
Hay is still the most valuable crop and orchard fruits 
are constantly gaining in value. The demand for dairy 
products increases with the growth of the urban popula- 
tion, and this demand is an incentive that is calling for 
pure-bred stock, and the choicest seeds and fruit bearing 
trees. 

In this work which is making Connecticut a veritable 
garden of productive beauty and worth by the develop- 



400 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 

ment of its resources of rich valley soil, its hillsides so 
well adapted to fruit and pasturage, and the wise conser- 
vation of its abundant woodland, — the State Agricultural 
College and Experiment Stations have taken a leading 
part. The Yale School of Forestry is rendering valuable 
assistance in the renaissance of interest in orchard and 
woodland products. The State Agricultural Society is 
supplemented in its activities by scores of town and 
county organizations. The Granges are not only centres 
of community life and social welfare, but they are ex- 
tending and utilizing the benefits of the Farm Bureaus 
that are exerting a most helpful influence. 

It is a hopeful sign that men of w^ealth are finding 
both enjoyment and profit, in developing and managing 
estates that are object lessons in the possibilities of farm 
life. Young men with college training are discovering 
full scope for their ability in the pursuits of agriculture, 
and it still holds good, as in the past, that no business re- 
quires more executive skill and wise management in win- 
ning success, than the conduct of a good Connecticut 
farm. ^^ Back to the land," is no watchword, for slug- 
gards or those who are seeking an easy way of gaining a 
living. But, for the man or boy who enjoys life in the 
open and desires an occupation that will test his skill 
and ability in every direction and give rich returns in 
health and a fair competence, agriculture in Connecticut 
offers an open door of opportunity. 

In this connection we must not forget the use that 
Connecticut makes of her soil beneath the waters that lap 
her southern boundaries. Oyster planting is one of her 
reliable crop productions, and the activities of this grow-* 
ing industry are measured in millions of bushels from 
year to year. 



FIRE AND LIFE INSURANCE. 401 

INSURANCE. 

On March 14, 1794, the following advertisement ap- 
peared in the Hartford Courant: 

HARTFORD FIRE INSURANCE OFFICE. 
The subscribers have this day opened an office for the 
purpose of insuring Homes, Household Furniture, Goods, 
Wares, Merchandise, etc. against Fire. 

Sanfokd and Wadswokth. 

This was the humble beginning of the great insurance 
business that has made the name of Hartford familiar in 
every part of the world. These partners in a general 
merchandise store, Thomas Sanford ' and Jeremiah Wads- 
worth, were led to make this venture by information 
that had come to them of the success of a like experiment 
in Philadelphia. Their now famous Policy Xumher 
Two insured the house of William Finlay for eight hun- 
dred pounds for one year at a rate of one-half of one per 
cent. The firm was very careful as to the standing and 
character of the individuals whose property they insured. 
In the year following the insertion of the above advertise- 
ment, Sanford and Wadsworth were joined by other 
substantial citizens in an enlarged copartnership " for 
the purpose of underwriting on vessels, stock, merchan- 
dise, etc., under the firm name of the Hartford and Xew 
Haven Insurance Company. Some of these men were in- 
corporators of the Hartford Insurance Company (1803), 
and in 1810 secured the charter of the Hartford Fire In- 
surance Company with a capital of one hundred and fifty 
thousand dollars. 

The first financial crisis which endangered the growing 
insurance business of Hartford, occurred in 1835. The 
great New York fire threatened to wipe out the capital 

^Thomas Sanford, a descendant, as are aU the Sanfords of America, 
of Richard Sanford, who lived and died in Much Haddam. Essex 
County, England in 1559. See the Thomas Sanford Fnraily Genealoiiy, 
vol. 1, pp. 23, 24. 



40i HISTORY OF COXNECTK TT. 

invested in the Hartford Fire Insurance Company, and 
its entire surplus. Its president, Eliphalet Terry, pledged 
his personal property at the Hartford bank, and started 
in his sleigh in a morning that was below zero, to dis- 
cover the situation among other companies and take steps 
to meet the impending disaster. Yankee pluck, ,as in 
the after days that followed fires in Chicago and Boston, 
won out. The announcement was made that the Hartford 
Company would pay its losses in full and take out new 
insurance. The night of gloom gave way to the dawn 
of a day of increased prosperity. Success in Hartford 
stimulated the organization of companies in Xew Haven, 
N'orwich and other cities. The total expenses of the 
great ^tna Insurance Company in its first year 
amounted to four hundred and fifty dollars. Among its 
policies was one issued as late as 1859 insuring fifteen 
negroes valued at sixteen thousand dollars. This Com- 
pany now has the largest capital in the Avorld — four 
million dollars. 

The fascinating story of the growth and development 
of the Connecticut Fire Insurance Societies would fill a 
volume. The same is true of Life Insurance. The Con- 
necticut Mutual Life Insurance Company was granted 
a charter in 1846. It was a pioneer in adopting conserv- 
ative plans founded on scientific knowledge, that have 
placed the vast interests of Life Insurance on a safe basis. 
The names of Guy Phelps, James Goodwin, Jacob L. 
Greene, and John M. Taylor are written large upon the 
roll of distinguished financiers that have made Hartford 
a world centre of Insurance activities. The Phoenix 
Mutual Life Insurance Company, first organized in 1851, 
as the American Temperance Life Insurance Company 
is esijoying a growing and substantial prosperity. The 



BANKING. 403 

^tna Life Insurance Company began its successful career 
in 1853. In 1907, a distinct organization, controlled by 
^^tna stockholders, founded tlie ^tna Accident and Lia- 
bility Company. 

Towering above all other buildings in the city of Hart- 
ford, is the structure that crowns the great edifice where 
thousands of employees care for the world wide business 
of the Travelers Insurance Company, incorporated in 
1863. In a real sense it is a monument to the sagacity, 
vision and indomitable energy of James G. Batterson. 
While traveling in England he became interested in 
casualty insurance, and on his return he took the steps 
that led to the founding of the great institution with which 
his name will ever be associated. It is difficult to realize 
as one is guided through floor after floor of offices 
equipped with every modern sanitary device for light, 
comfort and efficiency, that in its early history, dating 
back a little over half a century, two chairs and a second- 
hand desk were the equipment of the first office. One of 
those chairs however, was occupied by a scholarly, Christian 
gentleman of large experience, Avho had no such word 
as '' fail," in his vocabulary. With wise discretion he 
chose the lieutenants who have filled their places so 
worthily. In every line of Insurance, Hartford has taken 
a foremost place. 

BANKING. 

Continental currency^ and monetary difficulties, fol- 
lowing the Revolution, remind us of conditions that exist 
in Europe at the present time. In Philadelphia in 1778 
paper money was worth twenty-five cents on a dollar. 

The Union Banks of ^ew London and Hartford, were 
chartered by the Assembly in 1792. These were soon fol- 
lowed by the opening of Banks in 'New Haven, J^orwich, 

'See pages 216, 311. 



404 HLSTORY OF COXXECTICUT. 

and Middletown. The first Savings Bank — Tlie Society 
for Savings, of Hartford — was opened in 1819. The de- 
posits were so small that Elisha Colt, the treasurer, 
carried them in his pocket hy day and placed them under 
his pillow at night. The Bank Commissioner's Keport of 
1921 shows present resources of over Forty-six Millions 
of dollars. 

In 1796 a law was enacted that changed the currency 
from pounds and shillings to dollars and cents. Connecti- 
cut followed Massachusetts in methods of taxation. From 
the days when Hezekiah Merrill, cashier of the Union 
Bank in Hartford, received for those days, the munificent 
salary of five hundred dollars, there has been a marvelous 
development of banking capital and resources. The report 
of the State Bank Commissioner in 1921, a volume of 
653 pages, gives these impressive figures : Deposits in 
Savings Banks, $451,215,689.39. Trust Companies, 
$199,028,423.89. dumber of accounts in Savings Banks, 
733,961; in Savings Departments of Trust Companies, 
228,431. It would not require the genius of a Gladstone 
to wax eloquent over the testimony of these impressive 
figures to the still existing habits of thrift that character- 
ize so large a number of the people of Connecticut. The 
National Banks of the State are among the best in the 
Union and represent in their official conduct the highest 
financial ability. The Savings Banks have been con- 
ducted under the Trusteeship of men of sterling character 
and financial standing. The community owes a debt of 
large proportions to these men, who at a heavy cost of 
time and thought have cared for the money placed in 
their keeping, without any remuneration except the assur- 
ance of having aided a work that has brought help and 
material blessings into a multitude of Connecticut homes. 



CHAPTER YIII. 

CONNECTICUT NEWSPAPERS. 

Two Connecticut newspapers hare won such national, 
as well as State recognition, that space can be given to 
their history without arousing any but favorable comment 
from the excellent journals that are published in all the 
centres of large x)opulation throughout the State. 



On Monday, October 29, 1764, the first issue of The 
Connecticut Coueant was distributed from a building 

standing on Main St. in Hart- 
ford near the present site of 
Center Church. On its front 
])age this announcement, in 
part, was published : " Printed 
by Thomas Green at the 
Heart and CroAvn near the 
Xorth Meeting House. Of all 
the Arts Avhich have been in- 
troduced amongst mankind 
for the -civilizing of Human 
Xature and rendering Life 
Agreeable and happy, none 
appear of greater Advantage 
than that of Printing: for hereby the greatest Genius's 
of all ages and Nations live and speak for the benefit 
of future Generations: Was it not for the Press 
we should be left almost entirely ignorant of all those 

'Charles Hopkins Clark, born in Hartford, April 4, 1848; graduated 
at Yale in 1871. Connected since 1871 with the Hartford Courant of 
which he has been editor-in-chief from 1890. Mr. Clark has been a 
member of the Corporation of Yale University since 1910. 

405 




Charle.s Hopkins Clark^ 



406 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 

noble Sentiments whicli the Antients were endow'd with. 

The Connecticut Courant (a 

Specimen of which the Publick are now presented with) 
will on due encouragement be continued every Monday.'" 

Thomas Green deserves a place on the roll of the heroes 
of faith. In making his venture he was a pioneer of 
American journalism. He chose, for the place of publica- 
tion, a little Connecticut village, smaller in 1764 than 
Farmington, N^ew London or Middletown; but he was 
evidently a born newspaper man. The first issue of the 
Courant was not sensational, but full of items of interest 
to the average Connecticut citizen. The editor com- 
mented with approval on a recent funeral where the 
burdensome custom of furnishing gloves, etc., had been 
discarded. The fact is noted " That there seems to be a 
disposition in many of the inhabitants of this and the 
neighboring governments, to clothe themselves in their 
own manufacture." A new woolen mill had been opened at 
Hampstead on Long Island in the province of i^ew York. 
Any one sending " proper patterns of any colour would 
be supplied with broad-cloths the equal of any in fineness 
and goodness and cheaper than any imported." Very 
likely this was the first reading matter advertisement in- 
serted on the front page of an American newspaper. It 
sounds, at least, as if the writer had an ulterior purpose 
in his mind, ^ews items from London of as recent date 
as August 6 were given, and colonial news up to Septem- 
ber 14. 

Mr. Green's venture met with success, and the Courant 
took an active part in the stirring, history-making period 
that preceded the Revolution. In the midst of the Stamp 
Act discussions, the Courant published its first athletic 
news item. On May 5, 1766 it stated that " A challenge is 
hereby given by the subscribers (William Pratt and Niell 



CONXECTIOUT NEWSPAPERS 407 

McLean, Jr.), to Aslibel Steele and John Barnard 
with 18 young gentlemen south of the Great Bridge in 
this town to play a game at Bowl for a dinner and trim- 
mings, with an equal number N'orth of said bridge on 
Friday next." 

N". B. " If they accept the challenge they are desired 
to meet at the Court House at 9 o'clock in the morning." 

When the news of the repeal of the Stamp Act reached 
Hartford in May, 1766, the town celebrated with the 
ringing of bells. But the day turned into one of mourn- 
ing before nightfall. Gunpowder had been stored in the 
cellar of a brick schoolhouse. In an upper room some 
young militiamen were preparing fireworks for the evening 
celebration. Mischievous boys set fire to scattered powder 
outside the building which communicated to the stored 
powder. In the explosion that followed, five men were 
instantly killed, some fatally injured, and others badly 
maimed. The Courant at once printed the tidings of the 
sad accident with full particulars. 

Mr. Green's connection with the paper ceased in 1771, 
and Ebenezer "Watson, who had been his active partner 
for some time, became proprietor. In June of 1772, 
appeared the first lottery advertisement of any consider- 
able amount. It was for the benefit of Presbyterian 
churches in 'New York and Long Island. In August of 
this year, special notice was given of the Commencement 
exercises at Dartmouth College. Governor Wentworth 
contributed for the exercises a roasted ox, bread and a 
hogshead of liquor. The opening of the I^ewgate prison 
was noted, and reference was made to the Boston Tea 
party in this paragraph : " We hear from Boston that 
last Thursday evening between 300 and 400 boxes of the 
noted East Indian Tea by some accident ! which happened 



408 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 

in an attempt to get on shore, fell overboard — that the 
boxes burst open and the tea was swallowed np in the 
vast abyss." 

In the early part of 1774, matters began to assume an 
ominous stage. The issue of the Courant May 17 
brought news of the Boston post bill. It did not take 
long for Connecticut town meetings to vote to stand by 
Massachusetts, and this action was favored by the Hart- 
ford paper, which was now enjoying such a measure of 
prosperity that it indulged in a new dress of type with 
the proud comment, " l^othing will be wanting now to 
keep it in continuance and support its Sprightliness and 
Splendor." 

During the years from the Battles of Lexington and 
Bunker Hill until the surrender of Cornwallis at York- 
town, the Courant was a leading influence in sustaining the 
men who fought for American Independence. After the 
death of Mr. Watson in 1777, the paper was conducted 
for a time by his widow, who in 1779 married Barzillai 
Hudson, who formed a partnership with Mr. Goodwin, 
who was connected with the paper for over seventy-five 
years. The Courant while giving large space to local 
news was helpful in guiding public sentiment in the 
"critical years" following the Revolution. It did not 
favor the formation of the Order of Cincinnati, and 
published a pamphlet giving reasons for the belief " That 
it Creates a Race of Hereditary Patricians or Mobility." 

Messrs. Hudson and Goodwin asserted their indepen- 
de«ice in a matter which they declined to publish by in- 
serting a notice saying, " We are determined to be the 
dupes of no party. Neither officers or people shall find 
us partial to their particular interests. If either party 
wants a fool to answer its particular purpose, they must 



COXXECTICUT NP]\VSPAPERS 



409 



apply to some other printer." During the early years of 
the nineteenth century, the files of the Courant are a 
mine of information to the historical student who desires 
to get into close touch with the life of the people and 
the trend of public opinion. The advertisements are 
especially interesting. A Hartford tailor in 1815 was 
prepared to make coats warranted to fit for $2.50; vests 
for 84 cents and " pantaloons " for $1,121/2. 

The political bias of the paper during the discussion 
that culminated in the adoption of the present State Con- 
stitution (1818), is seen in the following brief comment: 
" How long the people will remain quiet under such a 
Constitution remains to be seen." The Courant gave 
large space to the .description of the first railway engines 
and w^as very proud of the splendid river steamboat the 
Oliver Ellsworth, until it learned that it w^ould arrive in 
Hartford on Sunday mornings, " With due deference/' 
said the editor to the proprietors of the boat, " we must 
be allowed to express our surprise and regret at this ar- 
rangement. . . . Every 
person must see at once that 
such an occurrence on the 
Sabbath must prove a serious 
interruption to the good order 
and tranquillity which ought 
to characterize that day." 
The plea was not in vain. 
The following week the an- 
nouncement was made that 
the Oliver Ellsworth would 
not arrive on Sunday morn- 
ing. O temporal O mores! 
A June issue (1828) tells 




Charles Dudley Warner 



410 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT; 

of the launching of a canal boat on the Farmington 
Canal. Training day proved a riotous occasion and vras 
rapidly falling into disrepute. In 1829, we learn that 
the streets of Hartford were sprinkled for the first time 
and that General Jackson was burned in effigy by some 
irresponsible youngsters. " Truth has fallen in our 
streets and equity cannot enter/' was the text of a cor- 
respondent in 1830, who bewailed the action of the legis- 
lature in voting to dispense with the usual election ser- 
mon. The action in 1833 of President Jackson in his 
message regarding nullification in South Carolina was 
commended, and frequent reference is made in favor of 
the project to build a railroad from New Haven to Hart- 
ford. 

In 1836, John L. Boswell became owner of the paper, 
and in the following year he began the issue of a daily. 
This gave larger opportunity for the gathering and re- 
porting of local happenings. Early in 1842, we read 
items regarding the visit of Charles Dickens, who was 
portrayed " as a young man, clad in red waistcoat, a 
brown frock coat, trowsers to match and a large fur-coat 
over all." After his return home and his American 
Notes was published, the Courant indulged in the com- 
ment that, " Mr. Dickens is making himself more su- 
premely ridiculous than ever we supposed possible." The 
criticisms of the great novelist on American society and 
manners were keenly felt and resented on every side. 

In 1849 the " gold craze " in California, the opening 
of new railroads and the use of the telegraph form items 
of interest. The friendly combination of the Times and 
Courant in securing telegrams did not sweeten the edi- 
torial comments of these rival neighbors or their antago- 
nistic political activities and policies. The coming of 



CONNECTICUT NEWSPAPERS 411 

Jenny Lind to Hartford in the summer of 1851 was an 
event of special interest and the papers gave full descrip- 
tion of the welcome given the great singer; a welcome 
sadly marred by a dispute regarding the sale of seats that 
culminated in so severe a riot that windows were smashed. 
In her alarm, Miss Lind escaped through a back window 
and gave some one five dollars to direct her to the station, 
where she found refuge in her private car. Evidently 
the police force was neither large or efficient. The 
Courant well said, " We have no heart for the comments 
which this sad and disgraceful affair crowd upon the 
mind." 

In these years, prior to the Civil War, when the politi- 
cal caldron was boiling with fierce contentions over 
slavery and other matters, The Courant, under new man- 
agement, became an active exponent of radical views that 
were crystallizing into convictions that a little later on 
were to fuse the most bitter political differences into the 
common purpose to stand together in defense of the 
Union. The dream of Dr. Horace Bushnell, that was 
finally realized in the action that secured the Park that 
bears his name, received the active support of the Hart- 
ford papers. It was not without public opposition that 
the greatest ornament of the city was secured. There 
were those, strange to say, who sympathized with the 
writer to the Courant, who said, " To me, it seems most 
outrageous and morally wrong to accomplish such an 
object by such means; at so great an expense, and withal 
such sacrifices as are to be made. The location is objec- 
tionable, being in an out-of-the-way place and surrounded 
by unsightly objects." 

The firing on Sumter, that united the Worth in an al- 
most solid phalanx in the determination to preserve the 



412 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 

Union, found splendid leadership in the Connecticut press 
without regard to party lines. 

In later years the Courant has been fortunate in hav- 
ing on its editorial staff men like Charles Dudley "Warner 
and its now veteran and honored, editor-in-chief, Charles 
H. Clark. 

THE HARTFORD TIMES. 

The beautiful building in which the Times is now 
published, stands upon the historic site that included the 
lots that were set aside for Thomas Hooker and Samuel 
Stone at the settlement of Hartford. The rear of this 
establishment, equipped with every modern convenience, 
extends across what was once known as Meeting House 
alley, along which these joint pastors of the First Church 
of Christ wended their way to the plain, four-square 
building in which the first Hartford generation worshipped. 

It is doubtful if for beauty of situation and architectural 
design there is any newspaper more delightfully housed 
than the Times. It was a happy thought on the part of the 
architect that secured the materials taken from the Madi- 
son Square Presbyterian Church in l^ew York when it 
was removed to give place to an extension of the great 
Metropolitan Life Insurance building. 



COXXECTICUT NEWSPAPERS 



413 




Alfred E. Burr 



The Times has been fortu- 
nate in having three editors 
of national reputation, John 
M. :N"iles, Gideon Welles and 
Alfred E. Burr. Among those 
who have been connected with 
the paper, for a longer or 
shorter time, the name of 
Samuel Bowles, founder and 
editor of the Springfield Re- 
})ublican, stands first. The son 
of a grocer in Hartford, he 
was compelled by the death of 
his father to leave school be- 
fore he was sixteen. Learning the trade of a printer in 
the Times ofiice, the way opened, soon after his marriage, 
to the proprietorship of the Springfield Republican, 
and he entered on his eminent editorial career. 

The Hartford Weekly Times was founded in 1817. It 
was under the editorial conduct of Henry A. Mitchell, a 
Bristol boy and Yale graduate and an ardent democrat. 
In 1838, he was owner of the paper. Two years after the 
i^aper w^as established (1815) a boy was born in a well- 
to-do Hartford home, who left school early and became 
an apprentice in the office of the Connecticut Courant. 
At the age of twenty he had so far won the confidence 
and respect of his employers, that he was made foreman of 
the composing room, and soon after was offered a share 
in the ownership with the condition that he should join 
the Whig party and attend the Congregational Church. 
Alfred E. Burr was not willing to meet these conditions. 
Probably there had been some preliminary overtures 
before young Burr, then in his twenty-fifth year, walked 



414 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



into the Times office and told Judge Mitchell he would 
like to buy a half interest in the Times. Gideon Welles, 
who was later on to become the famous Secretary of the 
!N"avy in Lincoln's Cabinet, was sitting in the room and 
overheard the conversation. When young Burr left, Mr. 
Welles turned to Mr. Mitchell and said, " You had better 
accept that young man's proposition." This was the be- 
ginning of an honored career of over sixty years. 

The Times rendered good service in securing the adop- 
tion of the present Constitution of the State. In the 
spring of 1841, the Daily Times made its appearance as 
a morning paper. The attitude of the paper during the 
dark days of the Civil War aroused bitter opposition. 
While standing by the Union and supporting the govern- 
ment in its action, Mr. Burr 
deplored the necessity for war, 
and was outspoken in his con- 
demnation of the agitators 
whom he felt were responsible 
for the strife. Public opinion 
was extremely sensitive in 
those trying days, and con- 
victions were so strongly as- 
serted that honest and good 
men were condemned justly 
and at times unjustly. 

Alfred E. Burr was fortu- 
nate in having a son loyal to 
the principles for which his father had so long con- 
tended. Working his way up from the ranks, Willie O. 
Burr was well prepared to stand by his father's side in 
his advancing years and take up the full conduct of the 
paper at his death, and secure for it the prosperity that 




Willie O. Bukr 



COXNEC'TICUT NEWSPAPERS 41 5 

has marked the years in which, as an afternoon paper, it 
has attained a circulation seldom, if ever, secured in a 
city the size of Hartford. 

The Courant and the Times have filled a large place in 
the life and history of Connecticut. They have aided in 
the founding of industries and institutions that have made 
the name of Hartford a household word in every part 
of the world; sharing in the prosperity that has come to 
the Capitol city, they have brought the world news in 
attractive form into Hartford homes, and the political 
tilts between these morning and evening papers, harm- 
less as the thrusts of Sancho Panza, have added relish 
to many a home breakfast and dinner hour. 

It is in the files of these great newspapers, of which the 
State and city have reason to be proud — and the same is 
true of leading journals throughout the Commonwealth, 
that future historians will find the material from which 
to weave their stories. 

A volume of goodly size would be needed to tell the 
full history of Connecticut journalism. Among the older 
papers The Palladium, The Journal and Courier, and the 
Register, of ]^ew Haven, have exerted a wide and whole- 



416 



HISTORY OF COXXECTICUT. 



some inHueuce. The Xew London Day, the Waterbury 

American, and the Danbury 
^ews, have an honorable 
history that is shared by 
papers published in all the 
busy centres of population. 
Colonel I^orris G. Osborn, 
controlling editor since 1907, 
of the New Haven Journal- 
Courier, and Arthur Reed 
Kimball, editor and business 
manager of the Waterbury 
American since 1881, have ex- 
emplified the highest ideals 
of editorial responsibility and 
service. A large number of gifted and successful men 
have been employed on Connecticut papers. Some, like 
Gideon Welles, Joseph R. Hawley, Cyrus Northrop, and 
Charles Dudley Warner, won national recognition, and 
in later days the faithful services of men like Clifton E. 
Sherman of the Times and Frederick E. Norton of the 
Courant have won, if not wide public recognition, that, 
which is more satisfactory, the praise of those standing- 
nearest to them in the daily grind of toil that is the lot 
of every successful editor. 




Arthur Reed Kimball 



CHAPTER IX. 

STATE PARKS AND FORESTS. 

When Horace Bushnell, the Litchfield farmer's boy, in 
the active days of his remarkable ministry in Hartford, 
suggested the possible use that might be made of the 
unoccupied land by the river side near the railway 
station on Asylum Street, there was no enthusiastic 
response. Strenuous opposition was made up to the time 
of final decision. The vote was by no means unanimous. 
Only the persistence of Dr. Bushnell and the support of 
a group of influential citizens finally secured the beautiful 
Park, crowned by the Capitol that is the pride both of 
Hartford and the State. ISTo one would have rejoiced 
more than Dr. Bushnell in the action and forethought that 
has given to the people of Connecticut a Park system 
that at the present time is a source of ever increasing 
enjoyment, giving both education in the love of nature, 
and health producing recreation. 

One half, or more, of Connecticut is natural forest land 
unsuitable for cultivated crops. In scenic beauty its moun- 
tains, hills, valleys and sea shore have a world-wide repu- 
tation. For many years the farmer's ax has cut valuable 
timber from the hillside and kept a multitude of home 
fires burning. An increasing commercial demand for 
lumber brought steam saw mills into the forest, and to 
the distress of many, huge gashes were made in the tree- 
crowned forests, and the time seemed near at hand when 

417 



418 



HISTORY OF COXXECTICUT. 



nothing would be left but tlie rock-ribbed, naked beiglitS; 
once glorious with a forest growth of hickory, chestnut, 
maple and other trees. 

The report of the State Park Commission tells in brief, 
the story on the part of Legislatures that redounds to the 
credit of all w^ho have taken an active interest in saving 
for the continued use of the people of Connecticut, and 
other States as well, the more than six thousand acres of 
land and shore now in charge of the State Park Commis- 
sion. Through the courtesy of this Commission the pages 
of this history are enriched with illustrations that give 
some idea of the wonderful beauty of these Parks and 
Forests. 

" The Parks," says the Commission, " are set apart 
especially for recreational purposes and to conserve 
natural scenic beauty, wild life and historic sites. To be 
safe for the people who use them, they are all game 
sanctuaries in which the carrying of firearms is expressly 
forbidden. The waters, however, are open to fishermen, 
during lawful seasons, and their wild flowers, berries and 
nuts, are for the personal use of the public, but not to be 
gathered for the market. 

" State Forests are for the essential economic purpose 
of growing timber, which requires large areas and con- 
tinuous policies for long periods of time. As the years 
go on the nearly idle lands now being purchased for State 
Forests will become a productive source of revenue to the 
State and of timber supply to the coming citizens. They 
will also be available for recreation and will be of much 
value in the production of water-sheds and the equaliza- 
tion of stream flow." In addition to this extract from 
a leaflet issued by the State Park and Forest Commis- 
sion we give the names and location of these public 




KENT FALLS, KENT 



STATE PARKS. 419 

lands. We are more tlian confident that the people of 
Connecticut with increasing interest will both thank 
those who have official care of this noble work, and gladly 
grant the aid that is asked for in the further development 
for public use of the wonderful scenic beauty and historic 
sites, as well as forest lands, of the Commonwealth. 



420 



HISTOFxY OF COXXECTICUT. 



CONNECTICUT STATE PARKS AND FORESTS. 
JANUARY 15, 1922. 



PARK 


Acres 


TOWN 


Sherwood Island 


30 


Westport 


Hurd Park 


455 


East Hampton 


Mt. Tom 


219 


Litchfield, et al. 


Mt. Bushnell 


84 


Washington 


Selden Neck 


122 


Lyme 


Haystack 


1 


Norfolk 


Ivy Mountain 


50 


Goshen 


Mohawk Mountain 


5 


Cornwall 


Great Hill 


10 


Portland, et al. 


West Peak 


181 


Meriden, et al. 


Mashamoquet Brook 


12 


Pomfret 


Sap Tree Run 


22 


Pomfret 


Macedonia Brook 


1,701 


Kent 


Bolton Notch 


70 


Bolton 


Dart Island 


1 


Middletown 


Wharton Brook 


50 


Wallingford 


Buttonball Brook 


135 


Chaplin 


Kent Falls 


219 


Kent 


Hammonasset Beach 


552 


Madison 


Black Pond 


100 


Middlefiekl 


Devil's Hop Yard 


860 


East Haddam 


Lake Waramaug 


75 


Kent 


Wooster Mountain 


100 


Danbury 


Nathaniel Lyon 






Memorial 


60 


Eastford 


Humaston Brook 


7 


Litchfield 


Total Acreage 


5.121 




FOREST 


Acres 


TOWN 


Meshomasick 


1.603 


Portland, et al. 


Union 


328 


Union 


Simsbury 


130 


Simsbury 


Cornwall 


1,282 


Cornwall, et al. 


Natchaug 


1,986 


Eastford. et al. 


INIohawk 


1.200 


Cornwall, et al. 


Total Acreage 


6.529 





Mr^ 



INCLUDES 
GIFTS OF 



G. A. Senff 



Miss Sarah Fay 

Miss Sarah Fay 
Mr. J. Bowditch 
White Memorial 
Foundation 

Mr. Russell Dart 



White Memorial 
Foundation 



White Memorial 

Foundation 

Mr. Henry B. Peck 

INCLUDES 
GIFTS OF 



White Memorial 
Foundation 












n 




CHAPTER X. 

STATE INSTITUTIONS, PENAL, REFORMATORY AND 
PHILANTHROPIC. 

The first common prison in the State was in Granby. 
In a thrifty way the legislature utilized from 1773 
" the subterraneous caverns and buildings in the copper 
mines in Simsbury [afterwards set off as Granby] as a 
public gaol and workhouse for the use of the colony." - 
Previous to this time log jails in different parts of the 
State had been provided. Wethersfield prison was opened 
in 1827; in many respects it is a model penal institution. 
The history of the State Reform Schools confirms the 
plea that criminals under age should be placed under 
very different conditions and restraints from those of 
adult years. The Connecticut Schools for Boys at Meri- 
den and Cheshire, and the Long Lane Farm Industrial 
School for Girls at Middletown, have proved the possibili- 
ties of training that has rescued many a boy and girl 
from a life of sin and made them worthy members of 
society. 

The Commonwealth owes a great debt of appreciation 
to the Connecticut men and women who through The 
Prison Association, and in other ways, have aroused and 
created public sentiment that has brought about legisla- 
tive action that places the State at the forefront in its 
penal and reformatory responsibility. A very interest- 
ing and hopeful phase of this work of education and 



'See page 248. ^gee page 334. 

421 



422 



HISTORY OF COXXECTICUT. 



guidance of wayward boys is found in the George Junior 
Republic of Litchfield, situated on a farm and homestead 
given by Mrs. Mary T. Buell. The prevention of crime 
by right methods of education in early life, is the hope 
of the future. 



CONNECTICUT STATE HOSPITAL. 

The stately buildings that house the inmates of the 
Connecticut State Hospital at Middletown give splendid 

testimony to the care which is 
given to those whose minds 
have become unbalanced. In 
early colonial days, and up to 
the early years of the nine- 
teenth century, slight public 
provision was made for the 
care of these sufferers. In 
many Connecticut homes, both 
of the rich and poor, tragic 
experiences in the care of 
these loved ones cast a shadow 
over their threshold. In other 
cases cruel neglect aroused 
condemnation. 

Dr. Eli Todd, born in ^ew Haven in 1769, was among 
the first of a noble company of philanthropists who have 
been prominent in bringing in a new era of relief to 
the insane. After graduating at Yale, Dr. Todd became 
a practicing physician in Farmington. He moved to 
Hartford in 1819 and for many years was recognized as 
a leader in his profession. His attention was called to 
the fact that several hundred insane men and women 
throughout the State Avere suftering from the need of 




Dr. Eli Todd 



CONXFXTICUT HOSPITALS. 423 

proper care and medical attention. The plea of Dr. 
Todd before the Connecticut Medical Convention bore 
fruit in action that established in 1824, the Retreat in 
Hartford. Its success not only brought relief to many 
Connecticut hearts and homes, but made it a source of 
nation-wide influence. It was the forerunner of action 
that in 1866 laid the corner-stone of the now great Con- 
necticut Hospital. Some of the ablest alienists in the 
United States have been in charge of this institution, from 
which hundreds of patients have gone forth restored to 
mental health. Under the charge of a Board of Trustees, 
appointed by the Governor of the State, its affairs have 
been conducted with marked care and ability; special 
mention may well be made of the gratuitous service that 
has been given by two Presidents of the Board of Trustees 
whose terms of office almost cover the entire history of 
this institution, H. Sidney Hayden of Windsor and Ex- 
Governor Frank B. Weeks of Middletown. 



The story of the founding of the American Asylum 
for the Deaf and Dumb is told in an earlier chapter.^ 
Work for the blind is now arranged in three departments. 
The nursery on Blue Hills Avenue, Hartford, has a 
pleasant home given by E. T. Stotsbury of Philadelphia. 
The usual public-school studies are taught, and in addi- 
tion, instruction is given in typewriting, piano practice, 
music and Sloyd carpentry. The children enjoy garden 
work and learn to distinguish weeds and vegetables. The 
department of trades on Wethersfield Avenue gives a 
training in a large number of industries. 



'See pages 248-250. 



424 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 

The school established at Lakeville in 1859 by Dr. 
Henry M. Knight, to meet, the need of the feeble-minded^ 
while a private institution, is under State supervision and 
receives aid from the State. The Connecticut State 
Register gives special information from year to year of 
the philanthropic institutions within its boundaries. The 
County Homes for Friendless Children; The Homes for 
Disabled Soldiers; The Home for Incurable Children at 
jN'ewington and Orphan Asylums, all testify to the philan- 
thropic care that Connecticut, with lavish generosity, con- 
tinues to give to those in special need. Among those who 
have been prominent in this work of self-sacrificing toil, 
the name of Elihu Burritt, the " Learned Blacksmith," 
born in 'New Britain in 1810, deserves special mention. 
In the temperance and anti-slavery reforms of the last 
century, Connecticut was active and effective in its in- 
fluence.^ 



'See pages 250-253. 



CHAPTER XI. 

HISTORICAL AND PATRIOTIC SOCIETIES. 

The Connecticut State Library, in its situation and 
architectural beauty, has no superior for its purpose in any 
State in the Union. Its gathered treasures are of inestim- 
able and growing value. The Library in the past three- 
score years has been exceedingly fortunate in having 

men like Dr. J. Hammond 
Trumbull and Charles J. 
Hoadly, to care for its develop- 
ment. ^"0 higher praise can 
be given to the present li- 
brarian, Dr. George S. God- 
ard, than to say that he is a 
worthy successor of these 
eminent historical scholars. 

The miscellaneous collec- 
tions of books, prints and 
manuscripts, that for many 
Geokge s. Godard years accumulated in the 

rooms in the old State House, 
were given a place in the new Capitol, until their removal 
in 1910 to the State Library and Supreme Court Build- 
ing. This beautiful building is admirably adapted for 
its purposes and its treasures are freely opened to the 
public. The extent and wealth of these historical collec- 
tions and books of reference are seen in the following 
summary. 




425 



426 HISTORY OF COXXECTICUT. 

1. Supreme Court Law Library. 

2. Legislative Reference Department. 

3. Department of War Records. 

4. Archives Department. 

5. Depository of Public Records. 

6. Department of Local History and Genealogy. 

7. Examiner of Public Records. 

8. Depository of Connecticut State, Town, Municipal 

and Society official publications. 

9. Depository for the official publications of the 

United States, the several States of the Union, 
the Canadian Government and Provinces, 
and of the Australian Colonies. 

10. Custodian of Portraits of Governors. 

11. Custodian of State Library and Supreme Court 

Building. 

12. Library Exchange Agent for Connecticut State 

Publications. 

13. Exchange Agent for Connecticut Geological and 

]N'atural History Survey Publications. 

14. Depository of the Foreign Wars Historical Collec- 

tion of the Military Order of Foreign Wars. 

15. Depository of historical and genealogical gifts to 

the State. Among these gifts are the following : 
a Sherman W. Adams Collection of official 

rolls and lists relating to the French and 

Indian War. 
h Dorence Atwater Collection of manuscripts 

relating to Andersonville. 
c Barbour Collection of Connecticut Vital 

Records. 
d William F. J. Boardman Collection of books 

and manuscripts relating to Genealogy. 



o 
o 

cr! 

H 
Pi 
t) 
O 

o 

H 
1^ 
H 

Pi 

03 

Q 
<1 

05 

<; 

Pi 
a 



427 STATE HISTORICAL LIBRARY COLLECTIONS. 

e Body Collection of Woodbury records and 
papers. 

/ Brandegee Collection of Portraits of Chief 
Justices of the United States. 

g Stephen Dodd Collection of manuscripts 
relating to the early history of East Haven. 

h Enfield Shaker Collection. 

i Sylvester Gilbert Collection of papers relat- 
ing to the American Revolution. 

/ Charles Hammond and H. M. Lawson Col- 
lections of manuscripts relating to the early 
history of the Town of Union. 

I' Col. Ed^\dn D. Judd Collection of Civil War 
military rolls and papers. 

/ Dwight C. Kilbourn Collection of books, 
pamphlets and manuscripts relating to Con- 
necticut, N'ew England and the South. 

7)1 Ellen D. Earned Collection of books and 
manuscripts relating to ^ew England. 

n Daniel X. Morgan Historical Collection, 
including table on which the Emancipation 
Proclamation was signed. 

o Deacon Lewis M. Norton Collection of man- 
uscripts relating to the Town of Goshen. 

/) Orville H. Piatt Collection relating to 
Finance, Indians and Insular Affairs. 

q Capt. John Pratt Collection of military 
papers, 1778-1824. 

r Major E. V. Preston Collection of Civil War 
military rolls and papers. 

s Col, Daniel Putnam Letters. 

t Sherwood Collection of Connecticut News- 
papers. 



428 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 

u Governor Jonathan " Trumbull Papers." 

V Governor Joseph Trumbull Manuscripts. 

w Gideon and Tliaddeus Welles Collection of 
American ncu'spapers from 1S20 to 1840, 
approximately. 

X Charles T. Wells Collection of books relat- 
ing to I^ew England. 

y Robert C. Winthrop Collection of manu- 
scripts relating to early Connecticut. 

z Samuel Wyllys Collection of manuscripts re- 
lating to witchcraft and other crimes in 
early Connecticut. 

The courteous welcome of the librarian and his assist- 
ants opens these historial treasures to every citizen of 
Connecticut, young and old. More and more, the pupils 
of our public schools are availing themselves of the oppor- 
tunity of looking upon the old Charter, the Stuart por- 
trait of Washington, the Riley portrait of Charles II, 
the portraits of all the governors of the State, and other 
things of special interest. Among the many gifts that 
enrich this collection one is of national interest : — The 
table upon which Abraham Lincoln signed the Proclama- 
tion of Emancipation. This gift is a part of a rare 
collection, presented by Daniel Xash Morgan of Bridge- 
port, Secretary of the United States Treasury, 1893-1897. 



HISTORICAL SOCIETIES. 



429 




Albert C. Bates 



THE CONNECTICUT HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 

Incorporated in 1825, this 
Society has gathered a wealth 
of books, prints, and articles 
of priceless value, during its 
century of activities. During 
the over thirty years that it 
has been under the direction 
of its efficient librarian, Al- 
bert C. Bates, its membership 
has more than doubled; its 
annual income has increased 
five fold; its genealogies havo 
increased in like ratio, and 
the newspapers require eight 
times their former shelf room. This progress has placed 
the Society in a foremost rank in the United States. 
Present conditions demand far more space than is now 
furnished in the once adequate rooms of the Atheneuni 
building. Here is an opportunity for some wealthy son 
or daughter of Connecticut ancestry to make a gift that 
will be of lasting and increasing influence. 

It would take a good sized volume to give, in detail, 
descriptions of the collections that are now in the posses- 
sion of the Connecticut Historical Society. Each year 
adds to the wealth of this immense storehouse of original 
sources of information regarding the history of the State. 
Among gifts of recent date is that of the tw^o United 
States flags which draped the front of the box in which 
President Lincoln sat at Ford's Theatre on the evening 
of his assassination. 



430 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 

NEW HAVEN COLONY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 

If those who have passed beyond the shores of mor- 
tality are cognizant of human action, John Davenport, 
Theophilus Eaton, and their associates, must be gratified 
that the name of the Colony they founded is still pre- 
served in the collections housed in the beautiful home of 
the 'New Haven Colony Historical Society. In its As- 
sembly room, from year to year, distinguished historians 
and scholars give lectures that are open to the public. 
Its gallery of portraits, articles of furniture, books, 
and MS., are already of great value. The recent pur- 
chase and renovation of Pardee's Old Morris House is 
an excellent illustration of activities and care that will 
have the growing appreciation of all the lovers of colonial 
days and customs. 

THE SOCIETY OF THE FOUNDERS OF NORWICH. 

The objects of this Society as stated in its Constitution 
are " to perpetuate the memory and the spirit of the 
founders or original settlers of the Town of Norwich; to 
encourage' the study of the early history of the town; to 
preserve documents, relics and records relating to that 
history, and especially relating to the original settlers; 
and to mark by suitable monuments and other designations 
historic places within the limits of the original town." 

This is a concise statement of the spirit and purpose 
that, in recent years, has founded societies, and animated 
work that has been so effectively accomplished by pa- 
triotic organizations, especially the Daughters of the 
American Revolution. 

Some of this work has been taken under the care of 
the State, notably the Israel Putnam Memorial Camp 
Ground at Redding; The T^ational Lvon Homestead in 
Eastford — and the Henry Whitfield^s'House in Guilford, 



DAUGHTERS OF THE A:\IERK AN REVOLUTION. 431 

THE MIDDLESEX COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY 

This Society is pleasantly housed in the former home 
of one of Middletown's prominent families. Under the 
presidency, for a quarter of century, of the Rev. A. W. 
Hazen, D.D., it has gathered a large collection of valuable 
historic material and given annual courses of lectures 
open to the public. 

THE MATTATUCK HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 

Founded in 1902, this society has already made a 
record that reflects credit upon the city of Waterbury and 
its vicinity. With an active membership of over one 
thousand it has gathered articles of special interest and 
worth that promise to be the nucleus of one of the 
important collections of the State. 

THE CONNECTICUT DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN 
REVOLUTION. 

The ISTational Society Daughters of the American Rev- 
olution was founded in 1890, and holds its charter of in- 
corporation by special act of the Congress of the United 
States, to which it must render annual reports of its 
activities, these reports being printed as Senate docu- 
ments. It has a living membership of 130,321. 

The first Connecticut Chapter was formed in 1892 in 
Middletown, and was called Wadsworth Chapter after 
General James WadsAvorth. Since that time the chapters 
have increased to 53 and the membership to 5959, in- 
cluding about one hundred members-at-large not belong- 
ing to any chapter. 

The thirty years since 1892 have been marked with an 
amount of patriotic work quietly performed which is 
realized by but few. It is national, State and local in 



432 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



scope, tlie chapters uniting in large projects initiated by 
the National Society and the State organization, and, at 
the same time, doing a large amount of work in their 
own communities. 

This work classifies itself in general as follows: 
memorial, genealogical, historical and commemorative; 
educational; war work; miscellaneous, including civics 
and philanthrophy, though charities are not regarded 
as properly coming within the province of the Society, 

whose objects are primarily to 
perpetuate the memory and 
spirit of the patriots of the 
American Revolution, and to 
teach the ideals of American 
institutions and the duties of 
American citizenship to the 
rising generation, that Ameri- 
ca may keep the faith and re- 
main true to the principles 
of its founders. 

It is out of the question to 
go into detail. Chapters all 
over the State have erected 
memorials of every kind, upwards of one hundred in 
number. They have marked historic sites and houses, 
and old trails and post roads; they have restored number- 
less ancient cemeteries, cleaning and resetting the stones, 
often re-cutting the vanishing inscriptions; they have 
copied town and church records that were falling into 
decay; they have located and marked the graves of hun- 
dreds of soldiers of the Revolution which would have 
been permanently lost; they have rescued historic houses 
from demolition and restored them; they have published 




Mrs. Sara Thomson Kinney 



DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 433 

historical matter in book and pamphlet form; they com- 
memorate events of national importance and observe na- 
tional anniversaries; in short, they have rendered an in- 
calculable service to State and I^ation by the preservation 
of much that was fast falling into oblivion. 

Among the historic houses should be mentioned the 
home at Windsor of Oliver Ellsworth, third Chief Justice 
of the United States, which was deeded as a gift in 1903 
to the Connecticut Daughters of the American Revolu- 
tion by his one hundred and sixteen living heirs to be 
kept as a perpetual memorial and a museum for relics 
of the American Revolution. It is the common property 
of all the Chapters, which contribute thousands of dollars 
annually to its maintenance and endowment funds. It 
is furnished throughout with rare and priceless antiques, 
and is open to visitors three days a week in the summer 
months. The Jonathan Trumbull Homestead at Leba- 
non has also been devised to the Connecticut D.A.R. The 
headquarters at Greenwich of General Israel Putnam is the 
property of Putnam Hill Chapter, and is also maintained 
as a museum of Revolutionary treasures. The ISTathan 
Hale School House at New London was restored by 
Lucretia Shaw Chapter and the Sons of the American 
Revolution, and is in the custody of the D.A.R. The 
little stone " Monument House " at Groton, near the 
Groton Monument, was restored by Anna Warner Bailey 
Chapter and an annex built for the purposes of a 
museum. This Chapter may claim sole credit for the 
work of saving the " Old Fort Griswold Tract " and se- 
curing its transfer from the U. S. Government to the 
State of Connecticut and its preservation in perpetuity 
as a memorial park. Ruth Wyllys Chapter of Hart- 



434 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 




Mes. John Laidlaw Buel 



ford took tlie lead in tlie movement to save tlie historic 

State House built by Buliinch, 
and raised the funds necessary 
for the restoration of the 
room formerly used by the 
Secretary of the State. Two 
modern buildings have been 
erected as memorials: a Me- 
morial Chapter House by 
Preelove Baldwin Stow Chap- 
ter of Milford in honor of 
the soldiers and sailors of the 
Revolution at a cost of $12,- 
000, and the $30,000 Library 
Building in memory of N^oah 
"Webster by Sarah Whitman Hooker Chapter of West 
Hartford. 

Ruth Wyllys Chapter's restoration of the historic 
Center Church Cemetery in Hartford and the widening 
of Gold Street at a total cost of $80,000, raised by the 
efforts of the Chapter, will long be remembered as the 
outstanding work of its kind in the State, while the 
expenditures of other Chapters on this kind of work alone 
reach a total of over $100,000. To Memorial Continen- 
tal Hall, headquarters of the ^N'ational Society in Wash- 
ington, erected in memory of the " men and women pa- 
triots of the Revolution," the Connecticut Chapters have 
donated, in round numbers, over $30,000. 

Among historical books and pamphlets published by 
Connecticut D.A.R., as a State Organization, is a work 
in two large bound volumes entitled " Chapter Sketches, 
Connecticut D.A.R. ;" the first volume is devoted to 
biographies of the historic Connecticut women or " Pa- 



DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTIOX. 435 

troii Saints " for whom most of the Chapters are named 
and of their men relatives in the service of the patriot 
cause : the second is devoted to biographies of " Pa- 
triots' Daughters," viz., the 102 "Real Daughters" or 
daughters of Revolutionary Soldiers, who were once on 
the chapter rolls as members. Two of these venerable 
women still survive, Mrs. Angelina Loring Avery and 
Mrs. Sarah Bosworth Bradway. Other publications are 
" The Ellsworth Homestead, Past and Present '' by the 
State Chapters, and several town histories by individual 
chapters. A valuable list or " Honor Roll of the Rev- 
olutionary Soldiers of Litchfield County " was published 
by the Mary Floyd Tallmadge Chapter of Litchfield; it 
is a bovuid book of 233 pages, containing the names of 
over 4000 Revolutionary Soldiers enlisting from this 
one county and references to other works and un- 
published documents where their services may be found. 
Numberless pamphlets and historical papers, giving local 
history, have been written and many published. 

The Connecticut D.A.R. pay especial attention to edu- 
cational work, known as " patriotic education " because 
its aim is to teach American ideals to foreigners and to 
the native born in the public schools and elsewhere. This 
form of work was begun at least twenty years ago, the 
National Society " D.A.R. being pioneers in what is now 
known as " Americanization." It was taken up by the 
D.A.R. before the country in general recognized its im- 
portance. In 1912 the Connecticut D.A.R. published a 
" Guide to the United States for Immigrants " in four 
languages, costing over $7000. This was the forerunner 
of a " Manual' for Immigrants " along the same lines now 
published in six languages by the National Society, 
toward which the Connecticut Daughters have paid their 
full quota of $3210 during the past year. Many chapters 



436 



HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT. 



give annual scholarships for educating foreigners at the 
American International College at Springfield, Mass- 
achusetts, and give prizes to night-schools. Two Chapters 
were the first to establish night-schools for foreigners in 
this State. 

The Chapters have also offered a State prize for at- 
tendance to the Americanization classes in the State, 
which is awarded through the agency of the State Board 
of Education, which Board also makes wide distribution 
of the aforesaid " Manual " among the foreigners of the 
State, to whom it is freely given by the D.A.R. 

The Chapters spend thousands of dollars a year, also, 
in scholarships for the fine American Southern 
Mountaineer stock, sending boys and girls to Maryville 
College, the Martha Berry Schools and a large number 
of other institutions. An endowed scholarship of $1000 
was given to Maryville College by the State organization 
and two others by Chapters. 

Almost all Chapters offer prizes of one kind or another 
in their local public schools, give gifts of books and 
pictures to schools and libraries, and cash donations to 

educational institutions and 
funds; such as the Jonathan 
Trumbull Chair of American 
Government at Harvard to 
which they have pledged 
$1000. They teach respect for 
the flag and the " Star 
Spangled Banner " when 
played, distribute the Con- 
stitution of the United States 
in poster form to schools, 
factories, etc., also the Declara- 
tion of Independence and 
thousands of copies of " The 




Mrs. Charles H. Bissell 



DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTIOX. 437 



American's Creed " by William Tyler Page. Lectures 
for foreigners have been carried on by some Chapters, 
and many are now engaged in maintaining sewing and 
cooking classes and mothers' meetings for foreign women, 
making a special effort to reach the women through 
human neighborliness. Large exhibitions of foreign 
crafts and artistic hand-work are held, notably one of 
two weeks or more duration held in the Morgan Me- 
morial, Hartford, by Ruth Wyllys Chapter. 

During the World War the Connecticut Chapters added 
a vast amount of war work to their regular w^ork, doing 
both together with untiring zeal. The motto of the 
Society is " Home and Country " and its aims, as ex- 
pressed in its constitution, are '' To cherish, maintain and 
extend the institutions of American freedom, to foster 
true patriotism and love of country, and to aid in securing 
for mankind all the blessings of liberty." 

At the present time Connecticut is honored by having 
in her citizenship the President General of the National 
Society, Daughters of The American Revolution, Mrs. 

George Maynard Minor, born 
in East Lyme. The Connect- 
icut Society has been deeply 
interested in the erection of 
the Memorial Continental Hall 
at Washington. It is designated 
as " The Connecticut Room." 




Mrs. George Maynard Minor 



Our space does not per- 
mit full mention of the many 
organizations that are foster- 
ing the study and love of 
Connecticut history. It is to 
be hoped that an increasing 



438 



HISTORY OF COXXECTICUT. 



interest in this study in our public schools will multiply 
the "number of those who will avail themselves of the 
rich collections that are now stored and cared for and 
thrown open with generous hospitality to the public. 

The J^ATiONAL Society 
United States Daughters 
of 1812, was organized in 
1906 by Mrs. C. H. Pinney of 
Derby. It has had rapid 
growth, and Chapters have 
been organized in many 
States. The Connecticut 
Chapter placed a tablet in 
Stonington on the centennial 
anniversary of the British 
invasion when they bombarded 
that to-svn. Mrs. Clarence 
r. R. Jenne of Hartford, since 
1919, has been the President 
of the Xational Society that has already made an excellent 
record in patriotic activities. 




Connecticut Room 

Memorial Continental Hall, 

W^ashington, D. C. 



At my request Mrs. John Laidlaw Buel of Litchfield kindly prepared 
the historical sketch of the Connecticut Daughters of the American 
Revolution. It is a record of achievement of which the State Chapters 
may well be proud. Leadership in this work was largely given in the 
years in which Mrs. Kinney and Mrs. Buel filled the office of Regent. 

In this connection I recall boyhood friendships both with a Revolu- 
tionary soldier and a veteran of 1812. The former when a lad of 
twelve years, drove a team loaded with supplies, from Tolland County 
to Boston, a short time after the battle of Bunker Hill ; when entermg 
Cambridge he turned out to let a regiment of militia pass. Lifting his 
cap to the commanding officer he received a salute in return from 
General George Washington. To the present generation, the Revolution 
seems far back in the past, but two lives are here seen to span the 
one hundred and forty-six .vears. 

— E. B. SANFORD. 



INDEX 



Abbott, Gen. Henry L.. 210, 360. 
Abercrombie, Gen. James, 156, 162, 

163, 164. 
Adams, Chester, 321. 
Adams, James Truslow, 377. 
Adams, John, 237, 238. 
Agawam, 19. 

Agriculture, 140, 333. 334, 398. 
Albany, N. Y., 150. 
Alcott, Amos Bronson, 383. 
Allen, Ethan, 185-187. 
Allyn, John, 95, 106. 
American Board, Foreign Missions, 

253, 340. 
Amherst, Gen. Jeffrey, 162, 168, 170. 
Anderson, Joseph, 343. 
Andersonville, 271, 272, 358, 366. 
Andrews, Charles B., 356. 
Andros, Sir Edmund, 73, 74, 80, 81, 

93-95, 355. 
Angell, J. R., 358. 
Ansonia. See Derby. 
Antietam, 266. 
Anti-slavery agitation, 252. 
Appomattox, 280. 
Army of the James, 278. 
Army of the Potomac, 264, 269, 273. 
Arnold, Benedict, 187, 212, 213. 226- 

228. 
Art Gallery, Yale, 390. 
Ashford, 195. 

Ashurst, Sir Henry, 103-106. 
Aspinwall, Dr. William, 295. 
Assembly, The General, 102, 111, 

138, 162, 166, 185, 188, 198, 201, 

202, 241, 244, 248, 253, 262, 280, 

310. 
Asylum, American, for Deaf and 

Dumb, 248-250. 
Asylum for Insane, 248. 
Atwater, Edward E., 120. 



Atwater, W. 0., 360, 389. 
Atwell", S. S., 362. 
Augur, H., 392. 
Avon, 53. 

Bacon, Benjamin Wisner, 389. 
Bacon, Dr. Leonard, 34, 253, 338. 
Bacheller, Irving, 368, 386, 387. 
Baldwin, Roger S., 356, 357. 
Baldwin, Simeon E., 356, 372, 373. 
Ballot, The, 248. 
Bancroft, George, quotations from, 

33, 57, 76, 78, 180, 187, 324. 
Banking, 403. 

Banks, Gen. N. P., 264, 270. 
Barber, J. W., 330, 387. 
Barlow, Joel, 131, 297, 299, 314, 

352. 
Barnard, Henry, 308. 
Barnum, William H., 357. 
Barre, Col. Isaac, 175. 
Bartlett, Paul Wayland, 393. 
Bartholomew, E. S., 391. 
Bates, Albert C, 429. 
Batterson, James G., 403. 
Battery Harrison, 278, 362. 
'• Battle of the Kegs," 210. 
Beach, Col. Frank, 365. 
Beach, Charles L., 361. 
Beach, Rev. John W., 218. 
Beecher, Henry Ward, 298, 300, 341, 

389. 
Beecher, Lyman, 251, 253, 298, 312, 

344, 384. 
Bellamy, Joseph, 297. 
Berlin, 53, 295. 
Bermuda Hundred, 273, 277. 
Bethel, 211, 289. 
Bethlehem, 297. 
Betts, Thaddeus, 357. 
Bigelow, Hobart B., 356. 



439 



440 



INDEX. 



Birge, Gen. H. \Y., 270, 364. | 

Birmingham. See Derby. 

Bissell, Mrs. Charles H., 436. 

Bissell. Clark, 356. 

Bissell. Col. G. P., 368. 

Blackburn, J. B., 390. 

Blake, Major Edward F., 267. 

Blakeslee, Erastus, 359. 

Blind, Work for the, 423. 

Blinn, Col. C. D., 365. 

Block, Adrian, 11. 

•' Blue Laws," 43. 

Bolton, 332, 341. 

Boardman, Elijah, 357. 

Boswell, John L., 410. 

Boundaries arranged with Dutch, 61 ; 
between Connecticut and New 
York, 77, 79 ; between Connecti- 
cut and Rhode Island, 80, 84, 88 ; 
controversy over, with Massachu- 
setts, settled, 110 ; boundary- 
lines, 329-331. 

Brandegee, Frank B., 371, 372. 

Boston, " Port Bill " denounced, 
183 ; aid sent to, 184 ; British 
evacuate, 198. 

Bostwick, Col. R. S., 369. 

Bowen, Clarence W., 85. 

Boyd, John, 96. 

Boys, Connecticut Schools for, 421. 

Braddock, Gen., 151. 

Brandegee, Frank B., 367, 371, 372. 

Branford, 79. 

Brass, 286, 291. 

Brewster, James, 288. 

Bridgeport, 293. 

Bristol, 53, 333. 

Brook, Lord, 17. 

Brown, Charles R., 345. 

Brownell, Bishop, 319. 

Brownell, Charles D., 392. 

Buck, Dudley, 395. 

Buckingham, Gov. William A., 255, 
258, 265, 280, 282, 356, 357. 

Buckley, J. M., 347. 

Buel, Mrs. John Laidlaw, 434, 438. 

Bulkeley, Morgan G., 368, 369. 

Bull, Capt. Thomas, 81, 82, 98. 

Bull Run, 259, 261. 358. 

Bunker Hill, 189-194. 



Burgoyne's surrender, 209. 

Burlington, 53. 

Burnham, Col. G. S., 358, 368. 

Burpee, Col. Thomas F., 277, 368. 

Burr, A. E., 328, 413. 

Burr, Willie O., 414. 

Burton, Nathaniel, 341. 

Bushnell, David, 210. 

Bushnell, Horace, .29S, 301, 341, 

414. 
Butler, Col. Zebulon, 220. 

CaHILL, Col. T. W., 363. 

Calhoun, John C, 314. 

Cambridge, Mass., 188, 196. 

Camp, David N., 308. 

Camp, Major Henry W., 282. 

Canada, 197, 200. 

Canterbury, 137, 253, 341. 

Capital laws, 43. 

Capitols, State, 328. 

Carriages, 119, 287, 288. 

Cates, John, 137. 

Cavalry, First Battalion of, 262, 

264, 274, 278. 
Cedar Creek, 278. 
Cedar Mountain, 264, 360. 
Chamberlain, Abiram, 371. 
Chancellorsville, 269. 
Chaplains, 283. 
Chapman, Col. G. D., 360. 
Charles IL, 68, 76, 89. 
Charter, The, 76, 77, 94, 96-98, 

112, 247. 
Charter Oak, The, 95, 96. 
Chatfield, Col. John L., 271, 272, 

358, 361. 
Cheney Brothers, The, 295. 
Chester, 138. 
Chester, Capt. John, 193. 
Choate, Rufus, 331. 
Choral Union, Litchfield County, 

395. 
Church and Commonwealth, 80, 84, 

109, 247. 
Church and town, 40, 146. 
Church, Frederick E., 391. 
Cities, 240, 295. 

Citizenship, Preparation for, 375. 
Civic Life, 374. 



INDEX. 



441 



Clap, President Thomas, 310. 

Clark, Capt., 194. 

Clark, George L., 3S1. 

Clemens, Samuel, 385. 

Clerc, Laurent, 249. 

Clergy, Influence of, 339, 378. 

Clergymen, 122, 123. 124, 140, 180. 

Cleveland, Chauncey F., 356. 

Cleveland, President Grover, 327. 

Clinton, 308. 

Clocks, 285. 

Coffin, O. Vincent, 369. 

Cogsv/ell, Dr., 245. 

Coin, 333. 

Coit, Capt., 194. 

Coit, J. B., 365. 

Colburn, Col. L.., 364. 

Cold Harbor, 275, 362. 

College customs, 310. 

Colt, Samuel, 290. 

Commerce, 65, 140, 238, 240. 

Congregational churches, 20, 31, 34, 
39, 40, 80, 84, 88, 109, 127, 
132, 136, 247, 253, 335. 

Congress, at Albany, 150 ; Conti- 
nental, 184, 196, 199, 207, 213; 
United States, 236, 238, 241. 
249, 254, 255, 279, 329. 

Connecticut, settlement, 15-20 ; 
adopts constitution, 32 ; pur- 
chases Saybrook, 51 ; adopts code 
of laws, 55 ; charter of, 76 ; union 
of New-Haven colony with, 75- 
79 ; boundary disputes of, 84 ; 
report to Board of Trade of, 88 ; 
charter hidden, 94 ; charter gov- 
ernment resumed, 97 ; life of the 
people, 115-132 ; towns, 133-138 ; 
during period of French wars, 
139-172 ; causes of Revolution, 
173-184 ; In war of the Revolu- 
tion, 185-236 ; becomes a State, 
199 ; adopts United-States Con- 
stitution, 236 ; in 1800, 240 ; war 
of 1812, 241-246 ; adopts present 
constitution, 247 ; philanthropic 
efforts, 249-253 ; in war for the 
Union, 254-283 ; industrial life, 
284-295 ; in literature, 296-301 ; 
public schools, 302-308 ; higher 



schools of learning, 309-321 ; in 

the life of the nation, 322-328 ; 

boundary-lines and physical 

geography, 329. 
Constables, 35, 337. 
Constitution of the United States, 

The, 239, 324. 
Constitution df 1639, adopted, 30, 

32-35, 335-339 ; State, adopted, 

247. 
Cooke, Lorrin A., 369. 
Cooke, Rose Terry, 385. 
Copper, 140, 291, 333, 334. 
Cornbury, Lord, 103-105. 
Cornwall, 277. 
Correction, Houses of, 121. 
Cothren, William, 388. 
Cottou-gin, 289. 
Courant, Hartford, 405. 
Courts, 248. 
Court, General, 32, 35, 41-43, 51, 

67, 102, 108, 109, 111, 332, 335. 

See Assembly, General. 
Coventry, 204. 
Crampton, Lieut., 187. 
Crandall, Prudence, 253. 
Cromwell, Oliver, 57, 63, 65, 75. 
Crown Point, 152, 168. 
Cummings, Dr. Joseph, 318. 
Currency, Continental, 216, 311. 
Gushing, Gen. T. H., 243. 
Cushman, George H., 392. 
Customs, Early. See People, Life of 

the. 

Dairy farms, 331. 

Dana, Professor James D., 299, 
332, 389. 

Dana, Samuel W., 357. 

Daggett, David, 357. 

Daggett, Rev. Naphtali, 223, 311. 

Danbury, 211, 212, 237, 288. 

Daughters of the American Revolu- 
tion, TTie Connecticut. 431. 

Davenport, Rev. John, 29. 34, 69, 
71, 73, 78. 

Darien, 343. 

Day, President Jeremiah, 313. 

Deane, Silas, 184, 187, 231. 

Declaration of Independence, 199. 



442 



INDEX. 



Delaware Company, 44, 47, 78. 

Deming, Col. H. C, 364. 

Democracy, Connecticut, 377. 

Deputies, 336-339. 

Derby, 14, 299. 

Desborough, Samuel, 36. 

Dieskau, 154. 

Dissenters, 113, 247. 

Dixon, James, 357. 

Dixwell, John, 68, 73. 

Doctor, The, in colonial times, 123. 

Dongan, Gov. Thomas, 329. 

Douglas, John, 202. 

Douglas, William, 202. 

Drake, Col. Albert W., 263. 

Draft, 202, 271. 

Dress, in colonial times, 42, 120, 

131. 
Drury's Bluff, 273. 
Drummer, Jeremiah, 112. 
Dudley, Joseph, 93, 103, 104, 110. 
Dupont, Admiral, 262. 
Duquesne, Fort, 167. 
Durham, 132. 
Durkee, John, 179, 194. 
Durrie, George H., 391. 
Dutch, The, in Connecticut, 11, 15, 

16, 38. 49, 63, 80. 
Dutton, Col. Arthur H., 277, 307. 
Dutton, Henry, 356. 
Dutton, Lieut. Henry M., 267. 
Dwight, President Timothy, 43, 312. 
Dwight, President Timothy, 2d, 314, 

357. 
Dwight, Theodore, 297. 
Dyer, Eliphalet, 184, 202. 

EaRLE, Ralph, 390. 

Eastford, 263. 343. 

East Granby, 333, 343. 

East Haddam, 343. 

East Hampton, L..I., 79. 

East Lyme, 137. 

Eaton, Theophilus, 29-31, 66. 

Eaton, William W., 357. 

Edwards, Henry W., 356, 357. 

Edwards, Rev. Jonathan, 296, 381. 

Election laws, 248, 335. 

Election-cake, 131. 

Election-days, 130. 



Eliot, Dr. Samuel, 321. 
Ellis, T. G., 365. 
Ellsworth, Col. E. E., 260. 
Ellsworth, Oliver, 236, 239, 324, 

356. 
Ellsworth, William W., 356. 
Ely, Col. W. G., 366. 
Embargo Act, 241. 
Emigration, 325. 
Endicott, John, 21. 
Enfield, 330. 

English, James E., 356, 357. 
Episcopal Church, 239, 321. 
Es.sex, 138, 242. 

Fairfield, 36, 63, 297. 

Farmington, 27, 53, 154, 253. 

Federal party, 245. 

Federation, Church, 347. 

Fenwick, George, 37, 39, 51. 

Fenwick, Lady, 57. 

Ferris, Col. S. P., 369. 

Ferry, Gen. O. S.. 258, 260, 357, 

360. 
Field, Cyrus, 385. 
Field, Rev. David Dudley, 385. 
Field, David Dudley, 385. 
Field, Henry M., 385. 
Field, Stephen, 385. 
Financial affairs, 102, 110, 141, 167, 

172, 175, 185, 217, 237. 
Finney, Charles G., 363. 
Fire-arms, 290, 291. 
Fisher, Fort, 279, 360. 
Fisher, Professor George P., 299, 

345, 388. 
Fiske, John, 298, 386. 
Fiske, Capt. Samuel, 277. 
Fisk, Dr. Wilbur, 317. 
Fitch, Ebenezer, 333. 
Fitch, Eleazer, 170. 
Fitch, Gov., 168, 175, 177, 180, 195, 

355. 
Fitch, John, 284. 
Fitch, John L., 391. 
Five Forks. 280. 
Flag, Connecticut, 197. 
Flagg, George W., 392. 
Flagg, Henry C, 392. 
Flagg, Jared B., 392. 



INDEX. 



443 



Fletcher, Gov. Benjamin, 99, 100. 

Foote, Admiral A. H., 281, 283. 

Foot, Samuel H., 357. 

Forestry, Yale School of, 400. 

Forests, State. 418. 

Foss, Dr. Cyrus D., 318. 

Foster, La Fayette S., 357. 

Fowler, Lieut. -Col. Douglas, 272. 

Franklin, Benjamin, 119, 150, 177. 

Fredericksburg, 266. 

French wars, Connecticut in the, 

110, 143-172, 322. 
Funeral services in colonial times, 

125. 
Furniture in colonial times, 116, 

117, 120. 



GaLLAUDET, Dr. T. H., 249. 

Gardiner, Lion, 18, 20, 22. 

General Assembly. See Assembly, 

General. 
General Court. Sec Court, General. 
General election, 130. 
Geography, Physical, 331-333. 
Geology, 332. 

George, King, III., 173, 183. 
George, Battle of Lake, 158. 
Gettysburg, Battle of, 269, 359, 360. 
Gibbons, Edward, 52. 
Gilbert School, 365. 
Gilbert, T. S., 360. 
Gillette, Francis, 357. 
Gilman, Dr. D. C, 308. 363. 
Ginnings, Sergt., 214. 
Girls, Industrial School for, 421. 
Glastonbury, 311. 
Godard, George S., 425. 
Goddard, Calvin, 246. 
Goffe, William, 68-73. 
Goodenough, Arthur, 351. 
Goodrich, Chauncey, 246, 257. 
Goodrich, S. G., 297, 300, 383. 
Goodwin, Dr. D. R., 320. 
Goodyear, Charles, 292. 
Goshen, 282. 

Governor, Election of, 247, 336. 
Governors, Names of, 355. 
Granby, 330. 
Granby coppers, 334. 



Grant, Gen. U. S., 273, 275, 278. 
280 ; Connecticut ancestry, 326. 
Green, Thomas, 406. 
Green's Farms, 223. 
Greenwich, 44, 47. 
Grenville, Lord George, 174, 181. 
Griswold, Fort, 227-230. 
Griswold, Capt. John, 267. 
Griswold, Gov. Roger, 242, 245. 
Groton, 231, 237. 
Guilford, 36, 69, 116, 213, 300. 

HaDLEY, Arthur Twining, 315, 
357. 

Hadley, James, 389. 

Hale, Capt. Nathan, 204, 205, 210. 

Hale, Rev. E. E., 210. 

Half-way Covenant, The, 84. 

Halifax, Lord, 151. 

Hall, Asaph, 389. 

Halleck, Fitz-Greene. 297, 300, 383. 

Hamden, 345. 

Hamilton grant. The, 89. 

Harland, Gen. Edward, 271, 362. 

Harris, Professor Samuel, 299. 

Harrison, Henry B., 356. 

Hart, Samuel, 345. 

Hartford, settlement of, 15-20 ; 
Stuyvesant visits, 62 ; Andros 
comes to, 94 ; Gov. Fletcher 
visits, 100 ; first State House in, 
140, 147, 178, 184 ; Washington 
visits, 225, 238 ; city, 240 ; 
manufactures, 287, 290, 295 ; 
insurance companies, 295 ; high 
school, 302 ; park, 301 ; Trinity 
College, 319 ; Capitol, 328. 

Hartford wits. The, 297, 382. 

Hartford Convention, 245. 

Hartland, 345. 

Hartranft, C. D., 344. 

Harvard College, 67, 108. 

Harwinton, 128, 134. 

Hastings, Thomas, 394. 

Hats, Manufacturer of, 288. 

Havana, 143, 171, 172. 

Hawley, Gen. J. R., 263, 271, 273, 
279, 280, 282, 356, 357, 361.. 
366, 368. 

Hayden, H. Sidney, 423. 



444 



INDEX. 



Hayden, Samuel S., 272. 

Hayes, President Rutherford B., 327. 

Haynes, John, 33, 34, 55, 65, 355. 

Hazen, Azel W., 350. 

Hendrick, The Mohawk, 152, 153. 

Hillhouse, James, 357. 

Hilton Head. 262. 

Hiue, Charles D., 308, 352. 

Historical Society, Connecticut, 429. 

Historical Society, The Mattatuck, 

431. 
Historical Society, The Middlesex 

County, 431. 
Historical Society, New Haven 

Colony, 430. 
Hoadley, C. H., 101, 388, 425. 
Hoadley, David, 393. 
Holcomb, Marcus H., 372, 373. 
Holidays, 130, 131. 
Holland, 80. 

Holley, Alexander H., 356. 
Hollister, G. H., 36, 74, 387. 
Holmes, Col. C. E. L.., 368. 
Holmes, William, 15. 
Hooker, Rev. Thomas, 17, 19, 32, 

57, 58, 339, 377. 
Hopkins, Gov. Edward, 66, 108, 303, 

355. 
Hopkins grammar schools, 303. 
Hopkins, Lemuel, 297. 
Hopkins, Stephen, 135. 
Hopkinson, Francis, 210. 
Hornbook, 304, 308. 
Horse Neck, 218. 
Hospital, Connecticut State, 422. 
Hotchkiss's School, 365. 
Howe, jun., Elias, 294. 
Howe, George, Lord, 163. 
Howe, Gen. William, 193, 203, 206, 

207, 211. 
Hubbard, Richard D.. 356, 392. 
Hudson, Henry, 11. 
Humphreys, David, 289, 297, 299, 

314. 
Humphrey, Dr. Heman, 305. 
Humphreysville, 289. 
Huntington, L.I., 79, 204, 223. 
Huntington, Jabez, 202. 
Huntington, Samuel, 199, 201, 356. 
Hutchinson, Mrs. Anne, 50 



India rubber. 292. 

Indian school, 253. 

Indians, 12, 14-16. 27, 50, 51, 53, 

67, 126, 149, 150, 159, 248, 253. 

Sec Pequots, Mohegans, Narra- 

gansetts, Hohawks. 
Industrial development, 284-295. 
Industrial School for Girls, 250. 
Ingersoll, Jared, 175-179. 
Ingersoll, Charles R., 356. 
Insurance, Fire and Life, 295, 401. 
Iowa, 281. 

Irish Bend, 270, 272. 
Iron, 294, 333. 
Ives, Brayton, 283, 359. 



JaCKSOX, Dr. Abner. 321. 

James II., King. 89, 90, 97. 

James River, 273. 

Jefferson, Thomas, 238, 240. 

Jerome, Chauncey, 286. 

Jewell, Marshall, 287, 356. 

Jewell, P., & Sons, 287. 

Johnson. Stephen, 180. 

Johnson, Sir William, 152, 155, 169. 

Johnson, William S., 238, 357, 362. 

Johnston, Alexander, 388. 

Judges' Cave, The, 71, 72. 

Judiciary, 248. 

Jury, Trial by, 43. 

Kellogg, coi. Eiisha s., 275, 

277, 367. 
Kelley, William V., 347. 
Kensett, John F., 391. 
Kent, 345. 

Kerfoot, Dr. J. B., 321. 
Kieft, Gov. William, 38, 55. 
Kimball, Arthur Reed, 416. 
King Philip's war, 82-86, 87. 
Kingsbury, Col. Henry W., 266, 267. 
Kingsbury, Col. T. H. C, 363. 
Kingsley, Col. T. G., 369. 
ivinston Bridge, 267. 
Kinney, Mrs. Sara Thomson. 432. 
Knight, H. M., 423. 
Knowlton. Col. Thomas. 191, 195, 

204, 206. 



INDEX. 



445 



Lake, Everett J., 373. 
Lanman, James, 357. 

Larned, Ellen C, 388. 

Law, Gov. Jonathan, 142, 355. 

Lawyers in colonial times, 41, 123 

Lead, 134, 334. 

Leather, 130, 287. 

Lebanon, 188, 202, 233, 253, 327. 

Ledyard, Col. William, 227-230. 

Lee, Gen. Charles, 215. 

Leet, Gov. William, 67, 71, 79, 355 

Lefflngwell, Thomas, 65. 

Legal Profession, 379. 

Legislature. Sec Assemblj', Gen- 
eral. 

Leisler, Gov. Jacob, 98, 99, 101. 

Lexington, 185. 

Liberty, Sons of, 176, 177, 179. 

Lilley, George L., 371. 

Lincoln, Abraham, 254, 256, 257. 

Lind, Jenny, 411. 

Litchfield, 119, 134, 187, 200, 251, 
298, 301. 

Lloyd's Neck, 223. 

Lodge, Henry Cabot, 62, 102, 124. 

Long Island, 44, 78. 

Loomis Institute, 365. 

Lossing, Benson J., 239. 

Loudon, The Earl of, 156. 

Louisburg, 143-146, 162. 

Lounsbury, George E., 369. 

Lounsbury, Gov. Phineas C, 287, 
356, 368, 373. 

Ludlow, Roger, 32, 34, 35, 55, 67. 

Lufbery, Raoul, 377. 

Luther, Flavel S., 321, 360. 

Lyman, Phineas, 152, 154, 155, 170, 
171. 

Lyme, 106, 137, 267. 

Lyon, Judson W., 359. 

Lyon, Gen. Nathaniel, 261, 263. 

Macon, Fort, 263. 
Aiackenzie, W. D., 344. 
McFingal, 299. 
Magistrates, 41, 335-339. 
Mallory, Capt. W. H., 358. 
Manchester, 295. 
Manross, Capt., N. S., 267. 



Mansfield, 137, 295. 

Mansfield, Gen. J. K. F., 266, 267. 

Mansfield, Col. Samuel, 368. 

Manufactures, 110, 111, 142, 237, 
284, 396. 

Marble, 332. 

Marriage customs, 125. 

Marsh, Othniel C. 389. 

Marshall, B. T., 361. 

Mason, Elisha, 216. 

Mason, Capt. John, 23-26, 28, 37, 
65, 123, 137. 

Mason, John, 105, 106. 

Massachusetts, 15, 18, 20, 22, 27, 
29, 32, 47, 51, 53, 61, 67, 77, 
83, 91, 98, 144, 152, 182, 233, 
329. 

McClellan, Gen. George B., 326. 

McDonough, Thomas, 246. 

McLean, George P., 369, 370. 

Mechanics, 42, 124. 

Medical Profession, 380. 

Medical School, Yale, 312. 

Meigs, Col. Return J., 213. 
I Meredith, A. B., 352. 

Meriden, 291. 

Merwin, Lieut. -Col. Henry C, 272. 

Methodist-Episcopal Church. 316, 
318, 347. 

Miantonomo, 23. 28, 45-47. 

Middletown, 62, 126, 140, 240, 317. 

Milford, 36, 39, 55, 63, 72, 74. 

Militia, 22, 87, 98, 99, 110, 123, 
130, 142, 147, 148, 151, 152, 
157, 162, 167, 172, 188, 195, 
197, 200, 203, 206, 212, 216, 
222, 227, 241, 244, 280. 

Mills, Samuel J., 351. 

Minor, Mrs. George Maynard, 437. 

Mitchell, Donald G., 298, 301, 385. 

Mitchell, Henry A., 413. 

Mitchell, Stephen M., 357. 

Mohawks, 14, 27, 49, 55, 59, 99, 
152, 153. 

Mohegans, 12, 28, 62, 106. See 
Narragansetts, Uncas. 

Momaugin, 30. 

Money, Paper, 110, 217, 238. 

Mononotto, 28. 

Montowese, 30. 



446 



INDEX. 



Montcalm, Marquis of, 151, 157. 
Montgomery, Gen. Richard, 200. 
Montreal, 171, 200. 
Moore, Capt. James E., 272. 
Morgan, Charles, 308. 
Morgan, Daniel Nash, 368, 370. 
Morgan, Forrest, 388. 
Morgan Memorial, 390. 
Morgan School, 307, 308. 
Morris, 347. 

Morris, Col. Dwight, 365. 
Morris Island, 271. 
Morris, Luzon B., 369. 
Morse, Samuel F. B., 391. 
Munger, T. T., 343. 
Music, 393. 



Nails, 333. 

Narragansett Bay, 219. 

Narragansett Indians, 21. 50-52, 59, 
' 60, 83, 85. 

Naugatuck, 292, 348. 

Naugatuck Valley, 134, 293. , 

New Netherslands, 16, 49, 55, 78. 
80. 

Newark (N.J.), 79. 

Newbern (N.C.), 263. 

New Britain, 53, 134, 308. 

New Connecticut, 325. 

New-England Union, 38, 44, 45, 61. 

Newgate, 334. 

New Haven, 27 ; settled, 29 ; gov- 
ernment, 31 ; laws, 43, 52, 65 ; 
union with Connecticut, 75 ; first 
newspaper, 119 ; trade, 140, 147 ; 
first State House, 174 ; attacked 
by British, 222 ; in 1800, 240 ; 
in anti-slavery times, 252, 258 ; 
manufactures, 286-295 ; public 
schools, 302 ; Yale University, 
309. 

New London, 57, 86, 99, 125, 140, 
182, 205, 227, 237, 240, 241, 
244. 

Newman, Robert, 34. 

New Milford, 201. 

" Newport News," 265. 

Newspapers, 119, 405. 



New York, 11, 38, 44, 49, 55, 60, 
80, 93, 198, 203, 208, 210, 211, 
218, 224, 232, 329. 

Niantics, 59. 

Niles, John M., 357, 346. 

Ninigret, 59, 64. 

Noble, Col. W. H., 366. 

Normal School, 304, 308. 

Northend, Charles, 308. 

North Branford, 348. 

North, W. N., 349. 

North Canaan, 348. 

North Haven, 332, 348. 

Northrop, Dr. B. G., 308, 352. 

Northrop, Cyrus, 363. 

Norton, Frederick E., 416. 

Norwalk, 61, 213, 223, 237, 349. 

Norwich, 65, 86, 119, 183. 198, 
240, 289. 

Norwich, The Society of the Found- 
ers of, 430. 

OcCOM, Samson, 253. 
Ogilby, R. B., 360. 
Ohio, 237, 325. 
Oldham, John, 21. 
Olin, Dr. Stephen, 317. 
Owaneco, 106. 
Oyster planting, 400. 

PaLP^REY. Dr. J. G., 48, lu6, 

147. 
Palmer, Nathan, 214. 
Paper currency, 217. 
Park, Bushnell, 417. 
Parks, State, 417. 
Parker, E. P., 342. 
Parker, Horatio, 395. 
Parsons, Gen. S. H., 187, 215. 
Patents, 291. 
Payson, Nathan, 170. 
Patrick, Capt., 24. 
Peck, Col. Frank H., 282. 
Pedlers, Yankee, 295. 
Peekskill (N.Y.), 214, 217. 
Pennsylvania, 219, 221. 
People, Life of the, 40-43, 115-132. 
Pequbts, The, 12, 21, 22, 25-28, 37, 

64. 



INDEX. 



447 



Pequot Harbor (New London), 23, 

26, 28, 
Pequot war, The, 21-28. 
Percival, J. G., 297, 300, 382. 
Perry, A. T., 349. 
Pessacus, 59, 60, 65. 
Peters, Gov. John S., 356. 
Peters, Major, 231. 
Peters, Rev. Samuel, 43, 334. 
Petersburg, 277, 278. 
Phelps, S. Dryden, 351. 
Phelps, Wm. Lyon, 386. 
Philadelphia, 184, 196, 199, 207, 

208, 236. 
Philips' war. King, 82, 87. 
Philanthropy, 248. 
Pierpont, John, 297, 300. 
Pierrepont, Edwards, 314. 
Pillars, The Seven, 32. 
Pins, 291. 

Pitkins, Gov. William, 150, 195. 
Pitt, William, 161, 167, 176, 181, 

184. 
Planters, Early, 122, 334. 
Plainville, 53. 

Piatt, Orville H., 357, 368, 369. 
Plymouth, 134, 286. 
Plymouth (N.C.), 271. 
Plymouth Company, The, 20, 75. 
Plymouth colony. The, 15, 16. 
Political and Civic Life, 366. 
Pomfret, 224. 
Pond, Charles H., 356. 
Ponselle, Rosa Melba, 395. 
Population, 22, 111, 140, 240, 340. 
Porter, Admiral, 279. 
Porter, President Noah, 299, 313, 

389. 
Porter, R. H., 349. 
Porter, Sarah, 364. 
Port Hudson, 270. 
Port Royal, 110. 
Prescott, William, 189-193. 
Prices, Regulation of, 42. 
Primer, New England, 303, 304. 
Proprietors, 333, 334. 
Prudden, Rev. Peter, 30, 39. 
Public schools, 302-308, 352. 
Pulaski, Fort, 263. 
Punishment, 41, 121. 



Puritanism, 79, 90, 133. . i.^ 

! Putnam, Gen. Israel, 154, 158, lS;'a. 

163, 165, 170, 172, 180, 188*"^ 
189-195, 196, 198, 203, 206, 214,'' 
215, 217, 224. 

Pynchon. Dr. T. R., 321. 

Pynchou, William, 19, 330. 

Quebec, 169, 197, 200. 

Quinnipiac, 27, 28, 29, 31. 
Quo warranto, 91, 92. 

Randolph, Edward, 89. 91. 

Raymond, Bradford P., 318. 

Redding, 217, 299. 

Reform School for Boys, 250. 

Regicides, The, 68-73. 

Reeve, Tappan, 378, 379. 

Reserve, The Western, 237, 306, 

325. 
Revolution, War of the, 173-236. 
Revolver, The, 290. 
Rhode Island, 28, 50, 52, 88, 102, 

331. 
Rice, Major James Q., 282. 
Rice, William North, 349, 360. 
Richardson, E. G., 387. 
Ridgefield, 172, 212. 
Roanoke Island, 263. 
Robinson, Edward, 388. 
Rochambeau, 225. 
Rodman, Col. Daniel C, 271. 
Rogerenes, 140. 
Roman Catholic Church, 346. 
Ross, Col. Samuel, 367. 
Russell, Col. Charles L., 263. 
Rye (N.Y.), 329. 

Sabbath-day houses, 129, 130, 

132. 
Sabbath, Observance of the, 124, 

128, 129, 132. 
Sachem's Head, 28. 
Saffery, 330. 
Sage, Comfort, 202. 
Salisbury, 294, 333. 
Saltonstall, Gov. Gurdon, 109, 141, 

147, 355. 



448 



INDEX. 



Sanford, Henry S., 368. 

Sanford, Thomas, 74, 368. 

Sanford, Samuel, 395. 

Sassacus, 26-28. 

Saugatuck, 211. 

Say and Seal Grant, The, 75, 76. 

Saybrook, 17, 18, 20,. 51, 53, 81, 82, 

99. 
Saybrook Fort. 242, 243. 
Saybrook " impost," 53. 
Saybrook, Old, 138, 349. 
Saybrook platform,'"The, 109. 
Schools, Public, 302-308. 
School Fund, 237, 306. 
Seabury, Bishop, 239. 
Secession of Southern States, 254, 

255. 
Sectarian Differences, Early, 346. 
Sedgwick, Gen. John, 274, 277. 
Seeley, Robert, 52. 
Seelye, Julius H., 363. 
Seelye, L. Clarke, 363. 
Selden, Samuel, 202. 
Selectmen, 41. 
Senate, 102, 248. 
Sewing-machines, 294. 
Seymour, 289. 

Seymour, Gov. Horatio, 326. 
Seymour, Capt. Moses, 209. 
Seymour, Thomas H., 356. 
Shapley, Capt., 228, 230. 
Sharon, 351. 
Sheep, 289. 

Sheffield. Joseph E., 313. 
Sheffield Scientific School, 313. 
Sherman, Clifton E., 416. 
Sherman, Gen. T. W., 262. 
Sherman, Gen. W. T., 279, 282. 
Sherman, Roger, 180, 184, 199, 201, 

287, 324, 357. 
Sherman, Roger Minot, 246. 
Shenandoah Valley, 264, 269, 278. 
Sheridan, Gen. P. H., 279. 
Sigourney, Mrs. L. H., 297, 300, 

383. 
Silk, 295. 

Sill, Edward Rowland, 386. 
Silliman, Professor Benjamin, 313. 
Silliman, Gen. Gould S.. 202. 
Silver, 334. 



Slmsbury, 111, 140, 330, 334, 351. 

Six Nations, 150. 

Slater, John F., 289. 

Slavery, Negro, 126, 252. 

Slitting-mill, 333. 

Smedley, James, 170. 

Smith, Dr. A. W., 317. 

Smith, Nathan, 357. 

Smith, Perry, 357. 

Smith, Truman, 357. 

Smith, Dr. G. W., 321. 

Smith, Gov. John Cotton, 242, 246, 

256. 
Smith, Nathaniel, 246. 
Somers, 351. 

Sons of Liberty, 176, 178, 200. 
Soule, Sherrod, 350. 
Southampton (L.I.), 41, 64, 79. 
Southbury, 136, 351. 
Southington, 53. 
Southold (L.I.), 36, 79. 
South Windsor, 263. 
Sowheag, 37. 
Spencer, Gen. Joseph, 170, 180, 

189, 195. 
Spottsylvania, 274, 275. 
Sparks, Jared, 363. 
Sprague, Homer B., 365. 
Springfield founded, 19, 330. 
Stamford, 44, 63. 

Stamp Act, The, 174, 176, 180, 407. 
Stanton, Thomas, 59. 
State Prison, The, 140, 334. 
Steamboat, First, 285. 
Stedman, Edmund C, 385. 
Stedman, Gen. G. A., 276, 277, 364. 
Sterling, 352. 
Sterling, J. W., 358. 
Stiles, President Ezra, 311. 
Stone, Rev. Samuel, 19, 23. 
Stonington, 86, 201, 243. 
Stoughton, William, 26. 
Stowe, Harriet Beecher, 298, 384. 
Stuyvesant, Gov. Peter, 60, 61. 
Sullivan, Gen. John, 212, 216. 
Sumner, Wm. G., 389. 
Sumter, 256. 
Suffield, 330. 

Susquehanna Company, The, 219. 
Swamp Fight, The, 85. 
Swift, Zephaniah, 246. 



INDEX. 



449 



TaFT, H. D., 364. 

Talcott, John, 86. 

Talcott, Joseph, 141, 142, 355. 

Tallmadge, Major, 224. 

Taxation, 173. 

Taylor, N. W., 344. 

Tea Party, Boston, 407. 

Temperance, 250-252. 

Terry, Eli, 285. 

Terry, Gen. A. H., 262, 271, 273, 

279, 280, 358, 359, 361. 
Thames River, The, 57. 
Thanksgiving Day, 131. 
Theological School, Yale, 312. 
Thomas, Seth, 286. 
Thomaston, 134, 286. 
Thomett, Capt. T. B., 358. 
Ticonderoga, 153, 168, 185, 186, 187. 
Tilden, Gov. Samuel J., 314, 327. 
Times, The Hartford, 412. 
Tinware, 295. 
Tisdale, Elkanah, 391. 
Tobacco Law against, 56. 
Todd, Charles B., 299. 
Todd, Dr. Eli, 422. 
Tomlinson, Gideon, 356, 357. 
Tories, 182, 211, 212, 221, 222, 334. 
Torpedo-boat, Invention of, 210. 
Torrington, 396. 
Totten, Dr. Silas, 320. 
Toucey, Isaac, 356, 357. 
Towns and town system. The, 35, 

38, 40, 41, 43, 79, 133-138, 147, 

148, 183, 237, 257. 
Tracy, Uriah, 357. 
Treadwell, John, 253, 356. 
Treat, Gov. Robert, 83, 85, 94, 95, 

97, 113, 329, 355. 
Trinity College, 319-321, 360. 
Trumbull, Benjamin, 19, 20, 387. 
Trumbull, Fort, 227. 
Trumbull, Gurdon, 391. 
Trumbull, H. Clay, 282, 283, 348. 
Trumbull, Gov. Jonathan, 177, 181, 

188, 198, 200, 233-236, 356. 
Trumbull, Gov. Jonathan, 238, 356, 

357. 
Trumbull, J. Hammond, 53, 79, 388, 

425. 
Trumbull, John, 297, 301, 314, 390. 



Trumbull, Joseph, 356. 

Tryon, Gov. William, 211, 214. 222. 

Tucker, William J., 362. 

Tyler, Bennet, 344. 

Tyler, Gen. Daniel, 258, 358. 

Tyler, Gen. R. O., 359, 360. 

Twichell, Joseph, 341. 

UnCAS, 23, 24, 28, 44, 50, 60, 02, 

65. 
Uncas, Joshua, 137. 
Unaerhill, Capt. John, 23. 
Union, The American, 236. 
Union of New-Haven colony with 

Connecticut, 75-78. 
United colonies. The, 184. 

Vermont, 187. 

Vernon, Admiral, 143. 
Virginia, 50, 226. 

WaDSWORTH, Gen. James, 202. 
Wadsworth, Capt. Joseph, 94, 96, 

100. 
Waite, Chief Justice; 314. 
Wagner, Fort, 271, 361. 
Waldo, Samuel, 391. 
Walker, Admiral, 110. 
Walker, Williston, 388. 
Wallingford, 333. 
Walpole, Robert, 143. 
Wampum, 54. 

Ward, Gen. Artemas, 189, 191, 196. 
Ward, Col. H. C, 370. 
Ward, Captain J. H., 260. 
Ward, J. E., 362. 
Wareham, Rev. John, 17, 20. 
Warner, Charles Dudley, 385. 
Warner, Olin L., 392. 
Warner, Seth, 186, 187. 
Warwick grant, 20, 75. 
Warren, Gen. Joseph, 194. 
Washington, College, 319. 
Washington, George, 151, 194, 196, 

198, 203, 206-209, 225, 226, 233, 

236, 238, 311, 438. 
Waterbury, 134, 135, 286, 291. 
Water-power, 135, 293. 
Watertown, 294, 299. 
Watson, Capt., 218. 



450 



INDEX. 



Webb, Gen., 158, 160. 

Webster, John, 355. 

Webster, Noah, 238, 297, 311. 

Weeks, Frank B., 371, 423. 

Weir, John Ferguson, 393. 

Weir, Julian Alden, 393. 

Weir, Robert W., 393. 

W^elles, Gideon, 281, 283. 

Wells, Horace, 289. 

Wells, Thomas, 355. 

Wentworth, Governor, 407. 

W^esleyan Guard, 258. 

Wesleyan University, 316-318, 359. 

Westbrook, 138, 210. 

Western New York, 326. 

W^estern lands, 137. 

Western reserve. The, 237, 325. 

West Haven, 222. 

Weston, 211. 354. 

West Point (N.Y.), 215, 226. 

Westport, 354. 

Wethersfield, 17, 140. 226, 322. 

335, 338. 
Wequash, 25. 
Whalley, Edward, 68-73. 
Wheaton, Dr. N. S., 320. 
Wheelock, Eleazer, 253. 
Whitefield, George, 310. 
W'hitefield House, 116, 120. 
Whiting, Nathan, 153, 154, 170. 
Whitney, Eli, 289, 291. 
Whitney, Professor W. D., 299, 389. 
Whitneyville, 291. 
Willard, Emma Hart, 383. 
Willey, Calvin, 357. 
William of Orange, 97, 103. 
William Henry, Fort, 155, 157, 159, 

160. 
Williams, Bishop, 320, 345. 
Williams, Elisha, 150. 
Williams, Col. Ephraim, 202. 
Williams, Roger, 28. 
Williams, William, 199, 201. 
Wilson, A. B., 294. 
Winchester, C. T., 360-386. 



Winchester Arms Company, 291. 
Winchester, Battle of, 278. 
Windhain, 137. 
Windsor, 17, 41, 55, 86, 137, 322, 

330, 335, 338. 
Winslow, Gov. Edward, 15. 
Winslow, Gen. J., 157. 
Winthrop, Fitz-John, 99, 102, 109, 

113, 355. 
Winthrop, jun., John, 17, 18, 57, 67, 

69, 76, 78, 83, 332, 355, 377. 
Winthrop, John, sen., 84. 
Winthrop, Theodore, 260, 385. 
Witchcraft, 101. 
Woodruff, Rollin S., 371. 
Wolcott, Gen. Erastus, 202. 
Wolcott, Oliver, 199-201, 291, 356. 
Wolcott, Roger, 144, 145, 150, 355, 

381. 
Wolfe, Gen. James, 169, 323. 
Woodbury, 136, 187, 283. 
Woollen-manufactories, 289. 
Woodhouse, Col. Levi, 360. 
Woodstock, 326, 330. 
Woolley, Mary E., 364. 
Woolsey, President T. D., 313, 389. 
Wooster, Gen. David, 170, 172, 189, 

200, 202, 212. 
Wooster, Col. W. B., 369. 
World W^ar, Connecticut in, 376. 
W^ork, Henry Clay, 385. 
Wright, George F., 391. 
Wright, Col. Dexter R., 365. 
Wright, Gen. H. G.. 278. 
Wyllys, George, 53, 54, 355. 

Wyllys, Mrs. , 96. 

Wyoming, 219-221, 325. 

Yale college, 109, 309 ; Univer- 
sity, 313-315, 357. 
Yale, Elihu, 109. 
Yankee pedler, 295. 
York, Duke of, 80. 
Yorktown, 232. 
Youngs, John, 64. 



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